The Longer You Stay
by jetsfanforlyfe
Summary: Jason is in a serious accident, and Kelsi struggles to bring him back from the brink of self destruction. Jelsi. REPOSTED, REWRITTEN, and REWORKED. Chapters 1-8 re-done.
1. Chapter 1

Disclaimer: Not mine, don't sue. Belongs to Disney.

A/N: Obviously, it's been over a year since this was updated. I recently found my original handwritten drafts, and reading them rekindled my love for this story. Being that the original files were corrupted and lost when my old laptop died, and being that my drafts had some things that failed to make it into the published version, I decided to revamp and replace the first fourteen chapters, as well as continue updating with the last six or so. I haven't quite finished, but I'm going to try my hardest.

To those who've read it before, feel free to re-read. There are some new scenes, as well as some additions and some subtractions. Most notably later in the story and with the Jason/Kelsi arc. To those reading for the first time, enjoy. xD

This starts slow, to set the stage. It might be a little bit confusing at first, but you'll catch on. It takes place in senior year, near the end of fall/beginning of winter.

WARNING: The first few chapters deal with teen drinking/partying and some mild sexual references.

Enjoy!

* * *

Jason Cross leaned back in his desk chair, crossing his arms behind his head as he tipped the chair back on two legs. He smiled lazily at Kelsi Nielson, who was sitting cross-legged on his bed, hugging his pillow to her chest.

"So," he said, trying to break the uncomfortable silence that had fallen between them since Kelsi had arrived ten minutes earlier.

"So," Kelsi replied, looking intently at Jason.

"I just-I wanted to tell you-" Jason began, but Kelsi interrupted him.

"I want to try again, Jason," Kelsi said bluntly, averting her eyes and looking at the floor. "I didn't come here to throw around small talk. I came because I want us to get back together."

Jason sighed, closing his eyes in exasperation.

"Kels, we tried already. I thought we both agreed that the break-up was for the best."

"Jase, that was last year," Kelsi pleaded, employing the nickname she had given him the year before, during their brief four-month stint as a couple. "I think we could work it out this time."

"Kelsi, I don't know," Jason replied dubiously, clearly not wanting to hurt her. "I had fun with you, but there wasn't any-any…" he paused, searching for the right word. "Any chemistry."

"Jason, I miss being with you," Kelsi conceded, finally looking back at him. "I miss spending time with you. I miss you."

"But we do spend time together," Jason replied, letting his chair fall back onto all four legs, clearly uncomfortable with the topic at hand. "We agreed to be friends."

"I want more than that, Jason," Kelsi said earnestly, sliding forward on the bed and reaching for his hand. "I want to be more than your friend."

"Kelsi, I-"

"Please, Jason, let's just give us one more chance. One more, and then I promise I'll leave it alone. I miss you Jase. I miss being with you, I miss your arms around me."

Jason drew his hand from Kelsi's grip, standing up and walking to the window. He rested his forehead against the cool glass, gazing out onto his leaf-strewn lawn. A gust of cool November wind blew by, kicking up the piles of leaves scattered around and carrying them down the street.

Kelsi stood up and came to stand behind Jason, resting her hand on his shoulder.

"I know you miss me, too," she whispered in his ear, leaning in closer to him.

"Kelsi, you remember what happened last time, don't you? I don't want to go through that again. I _can't_ go through that again."

"I promise, Jason, it won't happen. I promise."

"I need to know that, for sure, Kelsi. I need to be able to trust you."

"Jason, I promise. I won't hurt you, not again. You can trust me, please."

"Kelsi, it's just-"

"One chance, Jason. If at any point you feel you can't trust me, or you feel hurt or betrayed, you can end it. I'll give you that. Just, please, Jason, one more chance."

Jason pulled away from the window and Kelsi, walking to his closet. Sighing, he drew out his varsity jacket, fingering the red and white lettering before holding it out to Kelsi. It had been hers the previous year, his gift to her to mark their two month anniversary. He remembered distinctly the day she'd returned it, the day after they'd broken up.

"Here," he said, dropping his hand as she took it from him. "Take it. It can be a sign, show that we're going to try again."

"Jason, I-" Kelsi began, excitement flooding her voice, but Jason held up a hand to stop her.

"Kelsi, you have to promise me we'll take it slowly. I don't want to end up in the same place we were last year. I don't want to do that to you, or to me. I want to take this very, very slowly."

Kelsi's smile faded slightly, but she still managed to look happy.

"I'll take whatever you can give me," she whispered, pulling Jason into a hug. "One step at a time."

* * *

Kelsi ran up behind Jason in the hall at school the next day, slipping her arm into his. He started, then smiled when he saw her next to him.

"Hey, Jase," she said happily, leaning in to kiss him. He turned his head slightly, avoiding the kiss, causing Kelsi to pull away slightly.

"Jason?" Kelsi asked, confused.

"I said slowly," Jason said, looking into her eyes. "I don't want to make a scene."

"But, Jason, that slowly?"

"Kelsi, I'm just not ready for everyone to know, yet, okay? I'm still confused."

"Of course, Jase, but come on-one kiss?"

"I-I guess that couldn't hurt," Jason relented slowly, dipping his head, their lips brushing slightly, before they pulled away

"That wasn't so bad, was it?" Kelsi asked, her face still inches from Jason's, a tiny smile on her lips.

"No," Jason smiled back, "It wasn't."

They were about to try again when they were interrupted by a group of loud teenage boys running up behind Jason, slapping him on the back and greeting him rowdily.

"Jason, man, you ready for the game?" Troy Bolton asked, draping his arm around his friend's shoulders as he looked at Kelsi. "What's up, Kels? Are we interrupting something? Is there something you two would like to share with the group?"

Jason immediately turned pink and answered "No," at the same time Kelsi nodded vehemently.

"Whoa, which one?" Chad Danforth asked, punching Jason in the shoulder and leaning forward to ruffle Kelsi's hair in an older-brother sort of way.

"Chad, don't do that," Kelsi complained, swatting his hand away. She looked at Jason, her eyes pleading with him to say something, to acknowledge their relationship. When he said nothing, she pulled away from him, a frown marring her features.

"I'll see you later, Jason," she replied coolly, turning and walking away.

"Kelsi, wait!" Jason cried, trying to get free of his friends and follow her.

"Leave it, man," Troy said, leading Jason in the opposite direction. "So, spill. What's the latest news in the Kelsi/Jason drama hour?"

* * *

Jason sat bare-chested in front of his locker later that day, finishing his preparations for the night's basketball game. Locker room chatter surrounded him, but he seemed completely oblivious to it all, holding his jersey in his hands and staring absently across the room.

"Earth to Jason!" Chad said, waving his hand in front of his friend's face. "Earth to Cross!"

"What?" Jason asked, shaking his head slightly and looking at Chad. "Were you saying something?"

Chad, Troy, and Zeke Baylor all laughed, shaking their heads at Jason's response.

"You really are out there sometimes," Zeke commented, making a good-natured jab at Jason's infamous occasional stupid moments.

"We were wondering if you're coming to the party at Troy's house later," Chad said, pulling his own jersey over his head. "We were thinking you should bring Kelsi, you know, make it a party all around. Speaking of Kelsi, what exactly is going on between the two of you?"

"We're trying again," Jason muttered, pulling his jersey over his head and adjusting it. "I just don't want the whole world to know, and that pisses her off."

"Sounds like more trouble than its worth," Chad smirked, punching Jason in the shoulder. "But, hey, a party always fixes things, right?"

"Yeah, whatever man," Jason replied, frowning slightly.

"No, seriously dude, you should come," Troy said, slamming his locker shut and turning to Jason. "It's gonna be fun. My parents are letting us have the house for the night."

"Do they know what this party entails?" Jason asked, looking intently at his best friend.

"Well, not exactly everything. They made me promise there'd be no alcohol. But what they don't know can't hurt them, right?"

"I'll think about it," Jason replied, shaking his head at Troy's flippant response and shutting his own locker.

"You don't know what you're gonna be missing," Chad replied in a sing-song voice, grabbing his warm-up jacket and cuffing Jason on the head before heading out to the gym for warm-ups.

"Come, Jase," Zeke said, following Chad. "It'll be worth it."

"Yeah, really," Troy said, grabbing a basketball and following the other two. "I've invited practically the whole school."

"What have I gotten myself into?" Jason sighed, standing up and walking after the others.

* * *

"Hey, guys, great game," a blonde girl said, her voice light and flirty as she came up behind Troy and put a hand on his shoulder. "You were amazing."

"And he has a girlfriend," Gabriella Montez broke in, coming up next to Troy and wrapping her arm protectively around his waist, shooting daggers at the other girl with her eyes.

"Sorry," the girl said insincerely, dropping her hand from Troy's shoulder and moving to Jason. "What about you, Jason? Got a girlfriend?"

"Well," he began, but he saw Kelsi standing a few feet away, watching the exchange with a look of pain in her eyes. "Kind of," he said dejectedly, looking away.

"Whatever," she replied, walking away from the group. "You guys don't know what you're missing."

"Hey!" Troy called after her. "There's a party at my house tonight, you should come anyway. I think we could find someone for you."

"Troy!" Gabriella shouted, smacking him across the head.

"What?" Troy whined, looking at Gabriella. "She was hot."

Catching Gabriella's look of venom, he amended his statement.

"I mean, I wouldn't know, but I assume that other guys would find her very attractive."

The others snickered as Troy pleaded with Gabriella, trying to repair the damage.

"You're disgusting!" Gabriella exclaimed, dropping her arm from his waist. "I don't even know why I'm with you."

"Because you love me?" Troy asked, making puppy-dog eyes at her.

"You wish," she replied, reluctantly wrapping her arm back around his waist.

"Jason, could we talk?" Kelsi's quiet voice broke in next to him, startling him slightly.

"Uh, sure," he replied, looking at his friends. Chad and Zeke made gestures at him, telling him to take her to a more private spot. "Do you-do you want to go somewhere a little quieter?"

Kelsi nodded, and Jason led her to a corner of the gym.

"What's up?" he asked, looking into her eyes.

"Jase, when we decided to get back together I thought-well, I thought we'd be, you know, _together_."

"Kelsi, I'm sorry about that girl. She was hitting on the whole team, I turned her down, she-"

"Jason, that's not the point. The point is you had to think before you answered her. I know you were reluctant to get back together but-"

"Kelsi, let me make this up to you," Jason replied, taking her hand. "Troy's having a party at his house, let me take you to it."

Kelsi looked away, taking a deep breath.

"Please?" Jason pleaded, frowning slightly.

"I-alright," Kelsi relented, smiling half-heartedly.

"Jason, man, you coming?" Troy shouted across the gym, his gym bag draped across one shoulder and an arm wrapped around Gabriella.

"Yeah, we're coming," he called back, tentatively wrapping an arm around Kelsi's shoulders. She smiled up at him, leaning into his embrace. "We'll meet you there," he added, walking with Kelsi out of the gym.

* * *

A/N: So that's the end of chapter one. It's been elaborated and added to, and I think I definitely like it better than the original.

Reviews greatly appreciated, as always!


	2. Chapter 2

Disclaimer: Not mine, don't sue.

A/N: Starting in this chapter the drama is going to intensify, so be prepared. This is also partly re-written, so once again, read only if you wish.

WARNING: This chapter is heavy on the teen drinking, partying, and other things like that. You have been warned.

!IMPORTANT: In no way do I condone or practice any of the things that go on in this chapter. Teenage drinking is illegal, immoral, dangerous, and just plain stupid. I do NOT think anyone should do what Troy and his friends do in this chapter, and I hope that no one comes away from this chapter thinking it is okay. !

Enjoy!

* * *

Jason jumped out of his car and ran around to the passenger door, opening it for Kelsi. She gathered Jason's jacket around her slim frame as she stepped out of the car, taking Jason's hand for assistance. He smiled at her, leaning forward to shut her door as Kelsi looked apprehensively at Troy's house.

"It's really loud in there," she said dubiously, gesturing toward the front door. Loud music blared from unseen speakers, seeming to shake the very ground outside. Voices mingled with the music, occasionally loud enough to be heard above the noise.

"Yup," Jason nodded in agreement, smiling at Kelsi's obvious displeasure. He had been to enough post-game parties to have developed a tolerance for the noise and general chaos, but as far as he knew, this was Kelsi's first adventure into the world of teen partying.

"You ready for this?" he asked, looking sideways at her as he wrapped entwined his fingers in hers.

"As ready as I'll ever be," Kelsi muttered, swallowing in preparation.

"Let's go," Jason said, pulling her up the sidewalk, forcing her to follow him. They reached the door, Jason reaching forward to ring the bell at the same instant that a loud crash sounded from inside.

"That sounded expensive," Kelsi commented, unconsciously stepping closer to Jason. A minute later, the door flew open, revealing Troy leaning casually against the door frame. A half-empty plastic cup rested in Troy's free hand, undoubtedly filled with some form of alcohol.

"Jason!" Troy shouted, only the slightest slur noticeable in his voice. He reached forward, pulling Jason and Kelsi forcibly into the house. "You made it man, we were starting to wonder."

"We?" Jason asked, brushing Troy's hand from his shoulder and eyeing his friend as he drained the rest of his drink, clearly well on the way to drunkenness.

"Yeah. Me. Us. The guys," Troy replied, gesturing wildly around the room. "Everyone's here. Somewhere." He trailed off, frowning slightly.

"You know what, we'll find them ourselves," Jason said, smirking as Troy struggled to figure out what he had been saying. He reached forward, patting Troy's shoulder in a patronizing manner before taking Kelsi's hand and leading her through the throngs of people.

"Yeah!" Troy called after him, raising his empty cup toward Jason. "Yeah, you should." He turned away, walking the opposite way through the crowd, muttering about finding Gabriella. The second he was out of their line of sight, Kelsi pulled Jason to the side.

"Is he always like this?" she asked, a slight frown of displeasure curling at the corners of her mouth.

"Like what?" Jason asked, leaning forward to be able to hear her better.

"Like…_this_," Kelsi repeated, gesturing around the room. "I don't know, drunk?"

"Troy tends to get, should we say, a little out of hand," Jason replied, practically having to shout as a new, louder song blared through the speakers. Kelsi's frown deepened, and she began to look supremely uncomfortable.

"You know what, let's just forget him, okay? You thirsty? Want something to drink?"

"Is there anything other than alcohol?"

"I'm sure we can find you something," Jason replied, taking her hand and leading her back into the crowd.

* * *

"Hey, Jase, man, you want a beer?" Chad called across the kitchen, holding one up and making to throw it him. Jason and Kelsi were sitting at Troy's kitchen table, trying to catch a quiet moment away from the crowd. Both were already nursing Cokes, opting to stay away from the alcohol.

"I'm driving," Jason replied, shaking his head at Chad. The other teen appeared to be worse off than Troy, several empty beer cans surrounding his spot on the kitchen counter. Taylor was perched precariously next to him, holding her own cup and sipping from it occasionally, a look of distaste crossing her face each time.

"Hey, Kelsi," she acknowledged, leaning into Chad's embrace. He leaned in, kissing her passionately, still holding the beer in his hand. Jason looked away, slightly embarrassed at the scene they were making in front of Kelsi.

"You know what, Chad, I'll take that beer," Kelsi spoke up suddenly, startling Jason and causing Taylor and Chad to break apart. Chad looked amusedly at her, tossing it across the room.

"Kelsi Nielson, showing her wild side," he commented, laughing as she opened the can and took a big sip, scrunching up her face at the taste. Chad, Taylor, and Jason all laughed, Jason leaning across the table and squeezing Kelsi's hand.

"You don't have to drink," he said, looking into her eyes. "It's okay."

"No, I want to," she replied, taking another sip. "Besides, you're driving me home, right?"

Jason frowned, taking a sip of his Coke as he watched Kelsi carefully, fully intending to cut her off after she had finished.

"Jason, man, you sure?" Chad broke in, dangling another beer in front of Jason. Jason shook his head, and Chad shrugged, popping open the can and downing it in a few gulps.

"Have you seen Kelsi?" Jason shouted over the music at Zeke, trying to lean in closer to his friend to hear his answer. They were in Troy's living room, the party still going strong despite the fact that it was nearing two in the morning. Jason was actually amazed that the cops hadn't shown up at the door yet.

"I think she was still in the kitchen last time I saw her," Zeke shouted back, pointing in the direction Jason had just come from.

"I was just in there," Jason replied, shaking his head. "I can't find her, I-"

He was interrupted by a hand on his shoulder. Turning, he saw Kelsi standing behind him, unsteady on her feet. She had apparently had a few more beers after the first, resulting in her current condition.

"Kelsi?" Jason asked, grabbing her arm to steady her. "How many beers have you had?"

"Just a few," Kelsi slurred, holding up her thumb and forefinger and squinting, giggling uncontrollably.

"Just a few? Kelsi, you're drunk."

"No 'm not," she replied, lurching forward on her feet. Jason caught her in his arms, setting her back on her feet and steadying her.

"Is she alright?" Zeke asked, grabbing Kelsi's other arm and helping steady her.

"I think she's had a little too much to drink," Jason replied, catching Kelsi again as she swayed, giggling. "I think I'm going to take her home, let her sleep it off."

"Do you need help getting out to the car?"

"Nope," Jason replied, bending down and supporting Kelsi's legs, lifting her into his arms. "If Troy isn't too far gone, could you tell him I had to bail?"

"Will do," Zeke acknowledged, laughing softly as Kelsi weakly struggled against Jason's arms, trying to get back to her feet. "Have fun."

"I don' wanna go," Kelsi complained, trying to get Jason to put her down. "Put me down."

"Kelsi, I'm taking you home," Jason replied, holding her tighter. They reached the front door, and he reached down, opening it before carrying Kelsi out into the cool November air. "Why don't you try to fall asleep, you'll feel better when you wake up," he told her, resting his hand against her head, willing her to sleep as he walked to the car. He opened the passenger door, carefully laying Kelsi in the seat, leaning across her to buckle her in.

In the few seconds it had taken him to reach the car, she had fallen sound asleep, her chest rising and falling rhythmically as she adjusted to the position of the seat. He paused for a moment, smiling down at her slight form. Despite all they had gone through in the past year, he couldn't help but feel some form of attachment to her. He may not be in love, but he certainly was very fond of her.

Sighing, Jason walked around to the driver's side, getting into the car and starting the engine. Pulling slowly away from the curb, he started off toward Kelsi's house, the streets mercifully quiet after the chaos of the party. Within ten minutes, he had reached her house, pulling in front and killing the engine. Getting out, he walked around the car, gathering Kelsi into his arms and starting toward the front door.

When he reached the front step, he bent down, picking up the spare house key he knew the Nielson's kept there. Quietly opening the door, he stepped into the foyer, shutting the door behind him. He started up the stairs, trying to be as quiet as possible so as not to wake Kelsi's parents. Reaching the second floor, he started for Kelsi's room, very familiar with the path there.

Walking into the room, he crossed to Kelsi's bed, pulling back the covers and setting her down as gently as he could. Pulling up the comforter, he tucked the blankets around her, making sure to take off her shoes and cover her completely. Leaning forward, he brushed his lips against her forehead, pausing for a moment to smile at her.

Walking back into the hallway, he shut the door quietly, tiptoeing back down the hall. Looking up, he found himself face to face with Kelsi's father.

"Jason," Mr. Nielson said, crossing his arms and blocking Jason's path to the stairs. "It's been awhile."

"Mr. Nielson," Jason replied, a slight note of embarrassment in his voice. "I was just-we were at a party-she had too much to drink. I was just bringing her home, I swear."

"I thought I made it clear that I didn't want to see you around here anymore."

"She had too much to drink, Mr. Nielson, I was just trying to help her, I swear. Nothing happened."

"I appreciate your concern for my daughter, and I thank you for making sure she got home safely. And I'd appreciate it now if you'd leave."

"Of course," Jason replied, brushing past Mr. Nielson and walking out the door, heading out to his car.

* * *

Jason pulled away from the curb in front of Kelsi's house, shaking his head at the encounter that had just occurred between him and her father. The two hadn't ever really been on the best of terms, but after the events that led to the eventual break-up, they were even more at odds.

Sighing, Jason slowed to a stop at the stop sign, flipping on his turn signal and checking both ways before turning left onto the county road. He accelerated slowly, glad that there were barely any other cars on the roads. Coming to an intersection, he braked slightly, making sure that the light was green. Confirming that he had the right of way, he accelerated through the intersection, keeping his eyes focused on the road ahead.

Jason failed to see the car speeding toward him from the left, without headlights or any warning. The light was red, but the car seemed not to notice that, blowing through the intersection. A split second later, it hit Jason's car hard, the impact sending both cars spinning through the intersection, glass shattering. The crash lasted only seconds, but seemed an eternity to Jason as he gripped his steering wheel, trying desperately to regain control of his car.

The last thing Jason knew before blackness overcame his vision was a second impact as his car hit a second car head on, pain spiking through every part of his body.

* * *

A.N: Well, that was fun. I hope you guys take my warning seriously, and please, DO NOT DRINK AND DRIVE! That was my soapbox moment for the chapter.

I know you guys are probably curious about the reasons for Jason and Kelsi's break-up, but it will be revealed in good time. And I'm sorry for the serious OOCness of Troy and Chad and Taylor. But it was necessary.

Reviews greatly appreciated, as always!


	3. Chapter 3

Disclaimer: Not mine, don't sue. Belongs to Disney.

A/N: This chapter is definitely re-written. This was the chapter that made me take a second look at this story, since I really, really liked Alex, and the scenes I wrote involving the ambulance crew and actually getting Jason out of the car. I also felt it ended way to quickly, so I elaborated and brought it back to its original ending.

It may seem a little weird/technical, but give it a chance.

Enjoy!

* * *

Alex White flipped on the sirens in his ambulance, quickly looking over at his partner, Stacy Martin. They had just received a call from dispatch, calling as many units as possible to the scene of a multi-vehicle accident. They had been only a few blocks away when the call came in, and it only took them a couple of minutes to reach the site.

"Jesus," Alex whispered, quickly scanning the road in front of them. A small, royal blue sports car was sandwiched between a truck and an SUV. Due to the early hour, few other cars had been on the road, but a few that had been passing had pulled to the side of the road, their occupants stepping out to see how bad the accident was. Dozens of people were standing around, some having been woken by the crash, staring in shock as firefighters, police, and other paramedics attended to the victims of the accident.

"This is bad," Stacy agreed, shaking her head as Alex brought the ambulance to a stop and the two jumped out.

"Where do you need us?" Alex called out to one of the cops, running around to the back of the rig and pulling out his bag of supplies.

"Kid in the truck's taken care of, woman in the car is too. We're working on the kid in the middle, he's pinned, and the car is trapped."

"How old?" the twenty-six year old medic asked, tossing Stacy's bag to her and joining the officer as they walked toward the car.

"17, maybe 18. Kid's young."

"How bad?" Stacy asked, bracing herself as they drew alongside the car.

"It's pretty bad. Truck hit him from the left, and they spun out across the intersection. Rear-ended the other car. Car collapsed in on him from the front, legs are pinned underneath the dash."

Alex shook his head slightly, quickly getting past the immediate shock and switching into full paramedic mode. He had been working as an EMT since his junior year of high school, and had decided to make it a career after college. Stacy, however, was only twenty-two, and it was her first year on the job. While Alex had seen many gruesome accidents in his time, Stacy was still affected by the immediate shock.

"You okay, Stace?" Alex called over his shoulder, pulling out his stethoscope and preparing to crawl through the passenger window to reach Jason.

"Yeah," she called back, coming up behind him and opening the bag of supplies, ready to hand them to Alex.

"Is it safe?" Alex asked the officer, throwing his stethoscope around his neck.

"Yeah, you're clear. We're working on freeing the car."

"Alright, I'm gonna crawl in through the passenger side, see if I can't reach the kid."

Alex carefully picked his way over the broken glass coating the passenger seat from the shattered window, trying to reach the injured teen. Jason was slumped over the steering wheel, blood coating everything around him. Fresh blood spilled steadily from a gash on his forehead, and his legs were crushed underneath the dashboard, probably hiding unknown injuries from the medic.

"How bad is he?" Stacy called to him, watching as Alex slowly crawled over to the teen.

"Can't tell," he called back. "There's blood all over the place, mostly from a head lac." Spotting Jason's wallet and cell phone on the floor, Alex quickly bent down and picked them up.

"I've got a wallet and a cell," he called over his shoulder, flipping the former open and looking for ID. "Driver's license, credit cards, school ID. Name's Jason Cross, he's 17 and he's a senior at East High."

He flipped open the phone next and quickly scanned the numbers in the contact list, slightly surprised to find a number labeled ICE-In Case of Emergency. He threw both the wallet and the phone over his shoulder, trusting the officer to catch it.

"He's got an ICE contact, looks like his mom," he called, taking his place by Jason's side again and placing two fingers to the teen's neck. "I've got a pulse, weak and thready. Hand me the C-collar," he called to Stacy, holding his hand out. Stacy leaned into the car, handing the device to Alex. He placed it carefully around Jason's neck, careful not to move him as he immobilized his head. Once he finished, he carefully leaned Jason back in the seat so that he could better examine him.

"What can you tell?" Stacy asked, peering in concerned at her partner.

"There's a major head lac, seven, maybe eight centimeters across. Left arm looks broken, but I can't tell from this angle." Alex took his stethoscope from his neck, placing it gently to the teen's chest. "Breathing's labored, breath sounds almost absent on the left."

Putting the stethoscope back around his neck, he pulled on a pair of gloves, reaching out to gently feel for any broken ribs.

"Shit, there are several broken ribs on the left, only a few on the right. Probably punctured a lung." Shaking his head, he moved to examine legs. Pulling a penlight from his pocket, he illuminated the area under the dashboard, straining to determine any injuries to Jason's legs.

"How are the legs?" Stacy asked, correctly interpreting Alex's silence.

"God, he's a mess. Crush injuries to both legs, several open fractures visible. How long till we get him out?"

"We're working on it," the cop called back, joining Stacy at the window.

"Okay, get me the stuff to start an IV, and let's run in normal saline, he's probably in shock. There's not much we can do for him until we get him out of here."

Stacy handed the supplies into Alex, who grabbed them and quickly set up the IV, picking up Jason's right hand to secure a vein. A slight moan drew his attention away from the hand to Jason's face.

"Jason?" Alex asked, grabbing his penlight and shining it into the teen's eyes. "Jason, are you awake? Can you hear me?"

"Wha-happened?" Jason moaned, blinking rapidly as he slowly returned to consciousness. A moment later, he closed his eyes again, moaning in pain. "Oh, God," he whispered, trying to curl in on himself against the pain.

"Jason, Jason, it's okay," Alex said, placing a restraining hand on the teen's shoulder. "You were in an accident, and I'm here to help you, okay? I need you to look at me, Jason."

Jason opened his eyes slightly, looking groggily at Alex.

"Hurts," he whispered, a tear escaping from the corner of his eye and sliding unbidden down his cheek.

"I know it hurts," Alex said quietly, trying to calm the teen. "Stacy, can you get me some gauze?" he called back, aware that the blood from the laceration was falling into Jason's eyes. Stacy handed the gauze to Alex, and he gently applied it to Jason's forehead.

"Jason, my name is Alex, and I'm a paramedic. I need you to stay with me for a little bit, okay? Can you do that?"

Jason tried to nod, but found he couldn't. His eyes immediately shot up to meet Alex's.

"We've immobilized your neck, Jason. It's just a precaution. I need to start an IV in your right hand, okay? You're going to feel a little stick," he said, prepping the needle and deftly inserting it into the vein on the back of Jason's hand. He swiftly taped it down and started the flow of saline, trying to stave off the shock that seemed to have already set in.

"Alright, Jason, you still with me?" Alex asked, looking back at the teen's face.

"Yeah," Jason whispered, closing his eyes against the pain.

"No, Jason, you gotta stay awake, okay? I need you to tell me what hurts."

"My head," Jason started, opening his eyes again. "My-my arm. Left arm. Sh-shoulder. My, um, my chest hurts."

Alex nodded, encouraging the injured teen.

"Anything else, Jason? What about your legs? Your back?"

"My legs don't hurt," Jason replied, looking up at the medic.

Alex's concern shot up again at that last statement. With the severe injuries to his legs, Jason should have been in extreme pain. His lack of pain was an indication of a possible spinal injury.

"What's the story?" he called over his shoulder, a note of desperation finding its way into his voice.

"We're almost there," the cop called back.

"What's wrong?" Jason asked, panic filling his voice.

"Everything's okay, Jason," Alex lied, resting his hand on the teen's shoulder again. "We just need to get you out of here."

* * *

Twenty-five minutes later, they had finally managed to free Jason's car from the mess, and Alex and Stacy were preparing to help extract the injured teen from the car.

"Let's get the backboard over here and speed this up, we're running out of time," Alex said aloud, his statement directed more at the firemen poised to help them than at his partner.

"I'll grab the board," Stacy said, running back to the ambulance and grabbing the backboard and bringing it back to Alex.

"Alright, we're gonna put the board on the ground, and pull him out slowly. He's still unstable, and we don't know the extent of his injuries, so we've gotta take this carefully," Alex instructed, getting ready to lead the effort. Before they started, he stuck his head back into the car, speaking directly to Jason.

"Jason, you still with me?" A tiny, imperceptible nod was his answer, and Alex continued. "We're getting you out now, okay? We're going to pull you out of the car, but I need you to remain as still as possible. Do not move, do you understand me?" When he didn't receive an answer, he placed himself directly in Jason's line of sight. "Jason, did you hear me? Do not move."

"Okay," Jason whispered, his voice weak and shaky.

"Okay," Alex repeated, smiling reassuringly at his patient. He removed his head from the car again, addressing the others. "Alright, we're ready. Let's get him out, and get him on the board."

Jason's door had been pried open, and the firefighters were getting ready to help lift the teen from the car, Alex supporting his head.

"On the count of three," Alex called out. "One…two…three!"

They slowly pulled Jason from the car, keeping him as immobilized as possible. Alex directed them to lay Jason flat on the backboard, his hands never leaving the sides of Jason's head to keep it still. As soon as Jason was on the ground, Alex and Stacy moved into action.

"Alright, let's start a second line, and run saline, wide open. Call dispatch, tell them we've got a seventeen year old male, severe injuries, and ask for clearance for meds," Alex instructed his partner, pausing only long enough to ensure she understood him. Once Stacy began the second IV, Alex placed himself directly above Jason, making sure he was in the teen's line of sight.

"Okay, Jason, here's the story. We're gonna stay here for maybe five minutes, check you out, see what's going on so we know what to tell the doc when we get to the ER. Then we're gonna get you on the gurney and into the ambulance, okay? You think you can stay awake for us?"

"It-it hurts," Jason responded, his eyes clouding with pain as a grimace crossed his face.

"I know, Jason, but we don't have clearance for meds yet. We need you to hold on for a few minutes until we get that, okay?"

"Okay."

"Dispatch gave us clearance for the basics, but said to hold off on the narcotics because of the unknown nature of his injuries," Stacy reported to Alex as she returned to his side. "They said to check back in once we're on the way."

"Alright. Let's hurry this up then. I'm gonna start immobilizing his legs, you get his arm and chest."

"Got it," Stacy acknowledged. Alex moved to Jason's feet, starting to assess the injuries that practically mangled the teen's legs.

"Jason, could you wiggle your toes for me?" Alex called, looking up from his place at Jason's legs. "That's good," he replied, noting that Jason failed in the attempt.

"You're doing great," Stacy soothed, brushing back Jason's hair as she smiled slightly at him. She began applying a splint to Jason's left arm, immobilizing the limb as gently as she could. She moved then to his ribs, checking carefully to see which were broken. Alex finished splinting Jason's leg injuries then stood up, taking Stacy aside.

"He's got an almost definite spinal injury, and he's bleeding internally. We need to move out now."

"I'll grab the gurney," Stacy said, running back to the ambulance wheeling them over to Alex.

"Okay, Jason, we're going to get you on the gurney now, okay?" Alex asked, looking directly at the teen again, making sure Jason could see him.

"Okay."

"We need to strap you onto this backboard, though, so that you don't move and aggravate your injuries. It might be a bit uncomfortable, but we need you to hang in there."

Jason began to reply, but a shadow crossed his face, and he grimaced in pain, a harsh cough escaping his throat.

"Jason, you okay?" Alex asked, watching the teen carefully as he coughed a second and then a third time. Almost immediately, Jason fell into a coughing fit, his breathing hitching as he struggled.

"Jason, calm down. You need to breathe, Jason, breathe through it," Stacy advised, placing a hand on his shoulder to comfort him.

"Shit!" Alex cried out, dropping to his knees as blood began to seep from between Jason's lips. "Shit, he's coughing up blood, we've gotta roll him so he doesn't aspirate."

Alex placed one hand on Jason's far shoulder and the other supported his side as Stacy stabilized his head, and together they rolled Jason onto his side, trying to get him to clear the blood from his mouth.

"Jason, are you still with us?" Alex asked, his fingers flying to the teen's neck to check for a pulse.

"He's out," Stacy replied, checking Jason's response by tapping him lightly on the cheek.

"God dammit, I should have seen this coming. We've gotta move now, before he coughs up more."

Stacy and Alex worked quickly, and with the help of the police and firefighters nearby, they lifted Jason gently onto the gurney, making sure he was secure before rushing back to the ambulance.

"We've got contact info for the parents, we'll have them meet you at the hospital," one of the cops said as they lifted Jason's gurney into the back of the ambulance, securing it carefully so that they could make the trip to the hospital.

"You drive, and put the call in, tell them things have changed," Alex told Stacy, tossing her the keys and jumping in next to the gurney. As the more experienced medic, he felt that his expertise would be more useful with Jason rather than up front.

"Is he gonna make it?" a police officer asked, reaching to shut the doors after the gurney.

Alex shrugged.

"I can't make any promises, but it doesn't look good," he replied, shaking his head as the cop waved the ambulance off. Stacy flipped on the sirens and they sped down the road, heading as fast as they could for Albuquerque General Hospital.

* * *

A/N: So, that was pretty much the most continuous chapter I've ever written. It was a little technical, and a little more focused on the OC's, but I needed a different approach to finding out about Jason. I hope you liked it.

Reviews greatly appreciated, as always!

P.S.-As of right now, only chapters 1-3 have been replaced. I think I'm going to do them in groups, so look for 4-6 in the next few days.


	4. Chapter 4

* * *

Disclaimer: Not mine, don't sue. Belongs to Disney.

A/N: This one isn't re-written nearly as much as the first. I actually liked this chapter. I have added a brief glossary at the end of the chapter. If anything confuses you, check there. xD

The next few chapters are a little bit technical, but that's so I can fully explain the severity of Jason's injuries. I'll try to make it as readable as possible.

NOTE: I invented Jason's family. His parents are divorced, and his father remarried and has three kids besides Jason and his older brother Nick, who's in college. Jason lives with his mom, who kept her maiden name, Andrews.

Enjoy!

* * *

Alex sat beside Jason's gurney in the ambulance, keeping a close watch on the teen's vitals as they sped toward the hospital. Since they had loaded him into the ambulance, Jason had not regained consciousness nor shown any signs of improving.

"How far out are we?" he called up to Stacy, reaching forward to take Jason's pulse again.

"About five minutes, how is he?" she called back, taking her eyes off the road for a second to look back.

"Not good. Pulse is getting weaker, and his BP is starting to fall."

"I'm going as fast as I can," Stacy said in response, mentally urging the ambulance to travel faster.

"Don't panic," Alex advised, leaning forward to comfort his partner. "Keep your head clear, we don't need another accident. Just get us to the ER."

Stacy nodded, and Alex squeezed her shoulder in support. Just as he went to turn back to Jason, the alarm on the heart monitor began to wail, signaling that Jason was experiencing a cardiac problem.

"Shit, he's in v-tach," Alex exclaimed, yanking open a drawer and pulling out a syringe, filling it with a drug to help reverse the symptom. "I'm giving him a dose of epi, see if we can't get him back to normal."

"I'm going to go a little bit faster," Stacy called, panic flooding her voice. They were only two or three minutes from the hospital, the perfect time for everything to suddenly go wrong.

"He's not responding to meds," Alex said, carefully watching the monitor. "V-fib. I'm starting compressions," he added, standing up and beginning to perform CPR, willing Jason's heart to restart with each compression.

"I'm pulling into the ambulance bay!" Stacy called, speeding the ambulance into the space outside the ER doors, killing the engine and jumping out as several doctors and nurses ran around to the back of the ambulance.

"What've we got?" one of the doctors asked, reaching in to help bring down the gurney as Alex continued CPR.

"Jason Cross, 17, several injuries. Coughed up blood before passing out, went into cardiac arrest two or three minutes ago. Not responding to meds, compressions started as we rolled up."

"Let's get him to Trauma 1," the doctor called out, leading the way as the team of medical professionals wheeled the gurney to the waiting room, Alex standing on the rail and continuing compressions the whole way.

"What are the known injuries?" someone called out as Alex stepped off the bed for a moment, allowing them to transfer Jason to the waiting gurney, where a nurse immediately picked up Alex's duty.

"Broken ribs, broken arm, massive crush injuries to both legs, head lac, various bruises and lacerations, unknown internal injuries. He regained consciousness for about an hour at the scene, but was altered and in a lot of pain. Complained of numbness in the legs, suggestive of a spinal cord injury," Alex said quickly, hanging Jason's IV on the pole and writing quickly on his chart, signing off before handing it to a waiting nurse.

"Alright, we've got it from here," the lead doctor said, nodding at Alex and Stacy.

"We're taking off," Alex said, helping Stacy take their bloodied gurney out of the room, leaving the doctors and nurses to work.

"Thanks," the doctor, Dr. Carter, called after them, turning back to Jason.

"Where are we?" she asked, looking at the EKG monitor at the head of the bed.

"Still in v-fib, not responding to treatment,"

"Get the defibrillator ready, and push another 2 of epi, charge to 200," Dr. Carter said, pulling on gloves and stepping up next to the bed. A nurse handed her the defibrillator paddles, and she prepared to shock Jason's heart in an attempt to reset it's rhythm.

"Clear!" she called, placing the paddles to his chest and delivering the shock.

"Normal sinus rhythm," someone observed, an Dr. Carter put down the defibrillator, breathing a sigh of relief as they got Jason's heart back into rhythm.

"Alright, I want a CBC, chem. 7, UA, and a trauma panel," Dr. Carter began, ordering tests and starting to examine Jason. "And add a tox screen and a BAL, plus type and cross for 6. Get three units of O-neg down here, he's lost a lot of blood."

"Dr. Carter, his parents are here," the petite receptionist said, sticking her head in at the door.

"Just have them wait in chairs," Dr. Carter said, placing her stethoscope gently to Jason's chest. "I'll be with them as soon as possible."

"Breath sounds are absent on the left, I think we're looking at a punctured lung. Page surgery, and get the portable X-ray in here stat."

"His legs are a mess," a younger doctor said, looking up at Dr. Carter, his supervisor.

"How bad?"

"At least three open fractures, and the rest of the bones look either crushed or fractured. We need to get ortho down here to take a look."

"Alright, page them, have them come down with surgery. Where are we on the spinal injury?"

"No response to stimuli, looks to be some sort of cord injury, with paralysis of the lower extremities."

"Not what I wanted to hear," Dr. Carter sighed, shaking her head as she looked sadly at the young man lying before her. "Poor kid."

* * *

Kelsi groaned in her sleep as the phone rang, the shrill sound like a jackhammer to her sensitive ears. A moment later she heard her father's deep voice answer the call, and she drifted back to sleep, only to be woken again minutes later as her father knocked on her door.

"Kelsi?" he called softly, walking to the bed and gently shaking her awake. "Kelsi, sweetie, there's something I need to tell you."

"Go away, Dad," Kelsi groaned, swatting him away. "It's, like, one in the morning."

"It's closer to three," her dad amended, shaking her again. "Kelsi, you really need to get up."

"What?" she asked, finally opening her eyes and looking at her father.

"Kelsi, there's been an accident," Mr. Nielson said gravely, looking sternly at his daughter. Immediately Kelsi sobered, her face falling as she realized what her father was saying.

"Dad? Is it-was it Jason?"

Mr. Nielson nodded slowly, reaching forward to hug his daughter.

"Kels, Jason was in an accident on the way home from here. Another driver hit his car, and he spun into the back of a third car. He's at the hospital, that was his mother on the phone. She thought you'd want to be there."

"Oh, God," Kelsi whispered, putting a hand to her mouth in shock as she thought about Jason alone in the hospital, injured and scared. "Dad, I have to be there. Please, you have to take me."

Mr. Nielson paused, uncertain.

"Kelsi, you know how I feel about that boy," he replied, shaking his head. "After what he did-"

"Dad, it was just as much my fault as his. Please, I need to be there. Please take me to him."

* * *

Carrie Andrews sat in the waiting room of Albuquerque General Hospital, nervously wringing her hands as she waited for news on her son. When the phone had rung at two-thirty that morning, she had thought the worst, fearing that her oldest son had gotten into trouble while away at college. It never crossed her mind that Jason, her youngest and least troublesome child, would be the subject of the call.

Swallowing, Carrie tried to take her mind off of Jason, looking around for her ex-husband. David Cross had called her twenty-minutes earlier, saying that he was on his way. Almost immediately after, Carrie had called Kelsi's father, telling him about the accident. David had promised that, after calling their oldest son, Nick, he would come to the hospital.

As if on cue, the sliding glass doors to the ER opened, and David Cross strode into the waiting room, his hair ruffled and his clothes a mess, clearly looking as though he had rolled out of bed.

"Carrie?" he asked, spotting her and striding over pulling her into a hug. Even though their divorce fourteen years earlier had been unpleasant, they had chosen to remain on good terms for their sons, who had been eight and four at the time.

"David," Carrie whispered, the tears she had been holding back finally falling as she embraced her ex.

"What's going on?" David asked, pulling away and looking at her. "Is he alright? Have they told you anything?"

"They won't let me in to see him, and I don't know anything," Carrie replied, shaking her head as she looked at David. "I'm so worried, David, they said it was bad when they called."

"I'll try to see what I can find out," he told her, guiding her back into the chair and comforting her. At the moment Kelsi ran through the doors, spotting Jason's parents and running over.

"How is he?" she cried, coming to a stop in front of Carrie.

"Kelsi, they haven't told us any-" Carrie began, cut off as a doctor walked into the nearly empty room, peeling off a bloodied trauma gown and gloves and tossing them into the nearest trash ban angrily. Spotting the small group, she walked over, running a hand through her hair as she did.

"Are you the family of Jason Cross?" she asked, adjusting her white coat and tiredly looking at his chart in her hands.

"Yes, we're his parents," David said, looking at the doctor. "Are you his doctor?"

"What's wrong, is Jason okay?" Carrie asked, taking the doctor's silence as a bad sign.

"Mr. and Mrs. Cross, my name is Dr. Carter, I treated your son," she began. Jason's parents didn't even bother to correct her mistake in their names. "Jason was very badly injured. We've sent him up to surgery, but I must tell you that he is going to need a lot of help."

"Oh, God," Carrie and Kelsi whispered simultaneously, the former resting a hand on her ex's shoulder, struggling to keep her composure.

"How bad is he?" David asked, sitting heavily next to Carrie.

Dr. Carter sighed.

"To start, Jason suffered a major head injury. Right now we believe it may be just a severe concussion, but pending the results of his CT scan it may prove to be more serious. Jason suffered several bruises and lacerations of various severities, but nothing that won't heal with time."

"What else?" David asked, swallowing heavily as the doctor took a breath before continuing.

"Most of the left side of Jason's rib cage was broken, and one of the broken ribs punctured his left lung. We've sent him up to the OR to repair that. As it is, he's extremely lucky that he hasn't suffered from a flail chest. He also suffered some internal bleeding, all of which will be fixed in the OR."

"Is that all?" Carrie asked, bracing herself for something worse. She clutched David's hand tightly, trying to compose herself.

"I'm afraid not. Some of Jason's most severe injuries were to his legs and left arm. Because his left side took the brunt of the impact, most of his injuries were on that side. His arm was broken in several places, and will eventually need to be operated on to repair the breaks. His legs, however, are a different story," Dr. Carter said, taking a deep breath as she prepared to detail Jason's worst injuries. "Both his legs were crushed under the dashboard of his car, resulting in severe injuries. While we know that there were several open fractures, which result when part of a broken bone pierces the skin and exposes the fracture to the open air, there were also many smaller fractures and crush injuries, all of which could potentially provide serious problems in the foreseeable future."

"Oh, God," Kelsi whispered, tears sliding down her cheeks as she avoided looking at the doctor. Carrie and David had experienced a similar reaction, both clutching each other for support as the doctor painted a gruesome picture of their son's condition.

"I'm afraid that isn't all," Dr. Carter said sadly, almost wistfully adding to the sorrow the three were already experiencing.

"There's more?"

"We think that Jason may have suffered a spinal cord injury, possibly resulting in paralysis from the waist down, either temporary or permanent."

"Paralysis?" Carrie asked, clearly struggling to come to terms with what she had just been told. "Jason's-he's paralyzed?"

"Mrs. Cross, we're not sure. We were forced to rush Jason to the OR because of the severity of his internal injuries, and were not able to fully determine the extent of his other injuries. I'm very sorry."

There was silence for a few minutes as David, Carrie, and Kelsi absorbed what Dr. Carter had said, running over all the information in their minds. Dr. Carter waited patiently to answer any other questions, aware that they had just experienced a shocking blow. After several minutes, David was first to break the silence.

"Can we see him?" he asked quietly.

"I can send you up to the OR waiting room, where you can wait for the surgeon to finish up the surgery. I must warn you, though, that you're looking at a six to eight hour surgery at the least, more if there are complications or difficulties. It may be awhile before Jason is out of the OR, but we have our three best surgeons working on him. Your son is in good hands."

"We'd like to wait," David nodded, standing and bracing Carrie as she and Kelsi stood beside him.

"Alright, I can send you up. Just take the elevator to the fourth floor, follow the signs and you can ask someone upstairs for any news on his status."

David nodded, and he, Carrie and Kelsi thanked the doctor, walking toward the elevator.

Dr. Carter watched the trio walk away, shaking her head sadly as she reflected on the potential that had been wasted that night.

* * *

A/N: Well, that was depressing. Grr...I hope you liked it anyway.

I figured I'd translate some of the medical terms, so:

V-tach: ventricular tachycardia; an irregular heartbeat

V-fib: ventricular fibrillation; also an irregular heartbeat, but it's basically the heart is quivering, not really beating

EKG: electro-cardio graph (I think, if I remember the spelling correctly); used to monitor heartrate

Epi: epinephrine; basically, adrenaline

CBC: complete blood count

Chem 7: more blood tests, but blood chemistry tests

UA: urinalysis; basically to test kidney function

Tox screen: blood test for toxins

BAL: blood alcohol level

Type and cross: test used to match blood types for transfusion

O-neg: o negative blood, the universal donor blood type; can be given to anyone

Ortho: orthopedics; bone doctors

CT scan: computerized tomography; used as a diagnostic test, usually for head injuries

Flail chest: a section of broken ribs become unstable, and instead of the chest wall expanding on inhale, it collapses inward, and vice versa on exhale

Reviews greatly appreciated, as always!


	5. Chapter 5

Disclaimer: Not mine, don't sue. Belongs to Disney.

A/N: I'm probably not going to re-write this one much, either, but I'll add some details here and there, and probably translate again.

Enjoy!!

* * *

David Cross walked back and forth across the floor of the OR waiting room, wearing the carpet thin with his constant pacing. They had been sitting for two hours, and not a single word had come from Jason's doctors. It was nearing five in the morning, and the traffic through the waiting room had increased gradually over the time, patients and families coming in for routine surgeries and visits.

Sighing as he reached the edge of the carpet for what seemed like the millionth time, David turned on his heel, starting back across the room. As he walked he passed Carrie and Kelsi, both asleep in identical hard plastic chairs, the stress and the early hours having gotten to them.

"Dad?" a voice called across the room, causing David to spin and look at the speaker. His twenty-two year old son, Nick, was walking toward him, wearing an expression of anxiety identical to his own.

"Nick," he acknowledged, stopping his pacing to embrace his son.

"Dad, how is he? Have they told you anything? Where is he?"

David shook his head.

"He's still in surgery, but the ER doc said he'd be there for hours," David said, running a hand exasperatedly through his hair.

"Did you get to see him?" Nick asked, walking with his father to sit across from the two women, keeping his voice down to keep from waking them.

"They brought him straight up here. The doc said it was bad, though. They think-" he trailed off, too overcome with emotion to complete his thought.

"Dad?" Nick asked, his concern doubling as David struggled.

"They think he might be paralyzed."

Nick cursed under his breath, leaning his head back against the chair. There were several minutes of silence as Nick absorbed the news about his younger brother, trying to come to terms with what he had learned. The silence was broken as Carrie stirred, opening her eyes and looking sleepily across the aisle.

"Nick?" she asked, sitting up straighter as she recognized her eldest child. "Nicky, is that you?"

"Hey, mom," Nick said, standing slowly and walking over to hug her. Carrie buried her face against his shoulder, happiness at seeing him mingled with sadness over Jason. "It's so good to see you."

"I wish it was a better time, though," Carrie sighed, pulling away from her son and looking him up and down critically. Because he was away at college, she only saw him a few times a year, and it saddened her that they had to meet under the current circumstances.

"I know, mom," Nick said, looking at the floor. Another moment of silence passed among them, each member of the Cross family lost in their own thoughts. Shaking his head, Nick broke the silence.

"Listen, I think I'm gonna go grab us some coffee, since we'll be here awhile," he said, smiling comfortingly at his mother. "You want any mom? Dad?"

"Thanks, Nicky," Carrie said, unconsciously using her nickname for her son.

"That'd be great," David nodded, handing his son a twenty-dollar bill. Nick took it, looking over at Kelsi's sleeping form.

"What about Kelsi?"

"I think we should let her sleep," Carrie said, looking tenderly at her son's girlfriend. "She's had a rough night."

"'Kay," Nick said, hugging his mom quickly before setting off for the elevator, headed toward the cafeteria to get drinks for his parents, leaving them alone again with Kelsi.

* * *

Eleven hours later, David, Carrie, Nick and Kelsi were still sitting in the waiting room, their worry increasing with every extra second that Jason remained in surgery. It was close to four in the afternoon, and they had gone through several cups of coffee apiece, and each had taken their turn pacing across the floor.

"Shouldn't he be done by now?" Nick asked, voicing the impatience and anxiety that was running through each person's mind.

"I don't know," Carrie whispered, running a shaky hand through her hair. The building tension was fraying her nerves, bringing her to the very edge of insanity. Thirteen hours of waiting for her son, not knowing whether he was alive or dead, was killing her.

"Is it really four?" David asked, seeming to notice the time for the first time in a while. Nick nodded, and David cursed under his breath. "I need to call Lisa, she's probably wondering what's happened," he added, referring to his wife.

At the mention of his stepmother, Nick tensed up, clearly upset with his father for bringing her up. Carrie was avoiding looking at her ex, clearly uncomfortable with the subject at hand.

"Dad, maybe you should take a walk," Nick said, motioning with his head toward the hall. The subject of David's new family had always been a touchy one between Nick, Jason, and Carrie, and David was breaching treacherous waters by bringing it up at such a time.

He nodded, realizing his mistake. Standing slowly and stretching, he walked into the hall toward a payphone, quickly dialing his home number and waiting for his second wife to pick up.

As David left the room, three surgeons walked in from the opposite direction, wearing identical expressions of exhaustion and blood-stained scrubs. Rubbing a tired hand over her eyes, the one who seemed to be the leader scanned the room, looking for a certain family among the relatives and friends waiting for loved ones to come out of surgery. Looking at the chart in her hands, she called out a name.

"Cross?" she asked, scanning the room for a response. Carrie looked up, her eyes showing the surgeon that she was the person she was looking for. Crossing the room slowly, she stood across from Carrie, who stood to meet her.

"Mrs. Cross?"

"Andrews," Carrie amended, shaking the doctor's hand. "I'm Jason's mother, are you his surgeon?"

The doctor nodded, motioning for Carrie to sit as she did the same. The other two doctors nodded at Carrie before trudging back into the hall, tiredly heading for the locker rooms and rest.

"Ms. Andrews, my name is Doctor Langley, I was the surgeon who was in charge of your son's care."

"Wait, my ex-husband ran out for a minute, he would want-"

"I'm back," David said, startling Carrie as he came up behind her. He sat next to her, Nick on his right and Kelsi on Carrie's left. All four looked expectantly at the doctor.

"Mr. Cross," Dr. Langley nodded, rubbing her eyes tiredly before continuing. "As I'm sure you're aware, the injuries that Jason suffered were very severe," she began, looking each of his parents in the eyes.

"We know," David replied, motioning for her to continue. "What happened? Is Jason-is he-?"

"He's alive, but barely," Dr. Langley said frankly, trying to be as gentle as she could. "I'm sorry to be so frank, but I need you to understand the severity of the situation. Jason may have pulled through, but he is far from out of the woods. He has a very long, steep road ahead of him, and you need to know his condition so that we can decide how best to proceed."

Making sure she had their full attention, she swallowed before continuing.

"We were able to repair Jason's punctured lung, and re-set his broken ribs. We were also able to control most of the internal bleeding, but we were forced to remove his spleen. The injuries to his liver and kidneys were also severe, and we salvaged as much as we could. We were forced to remove his left kidney, though, but that shouldn't prove to be a problem later on."

"What about his arm? His legs?" Carrie asked, her face visibly paler as the doctor delivered her grim news.

"The orthopedic surgeon was able to repair the damage to his left arm by placing pins to set the breaks, and in a few days we'll be able to cast it so that it can heal completely. His legs, however, are a different story. We had several orthopedic surgeons working on him, trying to repair as much of the damage as we could. We were able to reset the open fractures, and use pins to repair some of the other injuries. The breaks were all set, but many of the injuries were just too severe. We'll need to go back in at a later date to see what we can do, if anything. The only option may be amputation. I realize that seems extreme, but right now Jason has worse problems to deal with, though."

She paused to allow this to sink in, before continuing with the worst news of all.

"We confirmed that Jason did suffer a spinal cord injury, but the severity is unknown as of now. If Jason wakes, we'll be able to fully determine the effects, but right now it's a waiting game."

"Wait, if he wakes up?" Kelsi asked, speaking for the first time in hours. "What do you mean if?"

Dr. Langley sighed.

"Jason suffered a major blow to his head, which we hoped resulted in only a concussion. Unfortunately, it turns out that he suffered a hairline skull fracture, severe enough to put him in a coma."

* * *

Kelsi stood outside Jason's ICU room, waiting for his parents to come out so she could see him. She was still shaken by the doctor's news, shaken by the news that he could possibly be in a coma forever. Closing her eyes, she leaned her head against the wall, trying to clear her mind so that she could handle seeing Jason in the ICU. She didn't notice that Jason's mother had walked out of the room, her hand covering her mouth as she sank into a chair in the hall across from the room.

"Kelsi?" David asked quietly, tapping her on the shoulder. He and Nick were watching her, trying to gauge her mood. "Kelsi, you can go in if you want."

Kelsi nodded, swallowing heavily before walking slowly toward the door and opening it slowly, looking in apprehensively at the figure in the bed.

She was shocked by how pale-how _sick_-Jason looked, surrounded by tubes, wires, machines, and equipment, all working to keep him alive. Stepping tentatively toward the bed, she ran her eyes down his body, taking in his appearance. Thick white bandages swathed his head, covering an incision from the sutured laceration. A supportive brace surrounded his neck, keeping his head steady and bracing his spine. A clear tube snaked out of his mouth, leading to a respirator at the side of the bed, forcing air into his lungs every few seconds.

Stepping closer, she moved her eyes to his chest, taken aback by the amount of bandages covering his chest. Underneath his flimsy hospital gown the bandages were visible wrapping his entire torso, hiding incisions and supporting broken ribs. His left arm rested in an air cast, bandages covering the surgical incisions. From his right hand ran two IV's, supplying fluids, medications, and blood transfusions.

Underneath a soft blue blanket, two bulky supports were visible on Jason's legs, which were unable to be casted due to the surgery and the remaining injuries. Taking in all of this, Kelsi managed to step up to the bed and take Carrie's recently vacated chair, gently picking up Jason's uninjured hand and running her thumb along it.

"Hey, Jason," she whispered, bringing his hand slowly to her lips and kissing it gently. "It's me, Kelsi. I don't know if you can hear me, but-" she trailed off, looking over the bed at a spot on the opposite wall.

"I love you, Jason," she whispered, tears sliding down her cheeks as she spoke to him. "I know we wanted to take it slow, and I know you might not feel the same, but I love you. I've always loved you. Even after last year, even after my dad kicked you out of the house, even after everything that happened with Ryan, I still loved you. He didn't mean anything, Jason. Not like you. You've been my everything, Jason, and you still are. Please, Jason, come back to me. I need you. You're all I need, and you need to come back to me. Please, Jason."

She trailed off, bringing his hand back to her lips and kissing it again, using her sleeve to brush the tears that were falling steadily from her eyes.

"I love you," she whispered again, closing her eyes and holding Jason's hand to her heart.

* * *

A/N: Well, that was interesting. And short. Sorry for the depressingness…and the ending…and the whole thing…Anyway…

Chapter Glossary:

Hairline skull fracture: what it sounds like; a skull fracture along the hairline

ICU: intensive care unit, where the sickest patients are kept

Reviews greatly appreciated, as always!


	6. Chapter 6

Disclaimer: Not mine, don't sue. Belongs to Disney.

A/N: This is slightly re-done. Parts of the explanation of Jason/Kelsi have been re-done.

And, PS, this takes place three days after the last chapter, so four after the accident.

Enjoy!

* * *

Kelsi sighed, pushing her limp, dirty hair back from her forehead, her free hand still clinging hopefully to Jason's uninjured one. She hadn't had a shower in three days, and she was beginning to look the worse for wear, her clothes messy and wrinkled, her hair unkempt, tear stains finding a permanent home on her cheeks. She had only been home once, to get a change of clothes and something to eat, before running back to Jason's side. She had been taking turns with his parents, each taking an hour or so at his side.

Closing her eyes, Kelsi leaned back in her chair, taking care not to break her grip with Jason. Resting her head against the back, she let her mind wander, taking her away from the room and the incessant beeping of the heart monitor, the soft hiss of the ventilator. She thought back to the previous year, and the messy break-up they had gone through.

They had ended on chilly terms, with Kelsi's father banning Jason from their house and Jason himself refusing any contact with her for several months. Their relationship itself had been pleasant enough, with its happy and romantic moments, but it seemed the fights often outweighed the good. The final stake had been driven into the heart of their relationship when Kelsi had spent an afternoon alone with Ryan Evans in the music room, and Jason had walked in at the wrong moment.

Wiping a tear from her eye, she tried to shake the memories and focus back on Jason, but she found she couldn't. She couldn't get the look on his face out of her mind, the utter despair and disappointment she had seen there haunting her even a year later. She remembered how he had stalked out, refusing to listen to her explanations. He had shown up at her house later that night, demanding an explanation and the end of their relationship, but her father had kicked him out before she could explain. That had been the end of not only their relationship, but their friendship, for several months.

Sighing, Kelsi opened her eyes, looking down at Jason's pale features, trying not to think that she'd never get a chance to make that up to him. They had only been back together for a day, not nearly long enough to bury all their differences. Fresh tears spilled from her eyes as she thought, the salty drops splashing onto her shirt and leaving trails behind them, staining her cheeks as well.

Kelsi lifted her free hand to wipe the tears from her eyes, but it fell to her side when she felt a sudden pressure on her other hand. Gasping, her eyes flew to Jason's face, and she saw that he was struggling to open his eyes, struggling to come back to consciousness.

"Jason," she asked, standing up quickly and leaning over him. "Jason, sweetie, can you hear me? Jason?"

She rested her free hand on his shoulder, trying to gently coax him back to the land of the living. She watched as he squinted against the light, his eyes fluttering open only slightly, trying to adjust to the harsh surroundings.

"Jason, are you awake? Can you hear me?" Kelsi said, a note of excitement creeping into her voice. "Jason, squeeze my hand if you can hear me."

She waited patiently, and was soon rewarded. Jason weakly squeezed her hand, his eyes opening wider and darting around the room as he tried to gauge his surroundings. He tried to speak, but started choking on the ET tube in his throat, his panic shooting up several notches as the monitors around him blared loudly.

"Jason, calm down," Kelsi soothed, resting her hand firmly on his shoulder. "You're in the hospital, and there's a tube in your throat. Just hold on, I'm gonna go get your parents and the doctor," she said, keeping her voice even and calm despite the panic flooding through her.

Dropping Jason's hand for a few seconds, she ran to the door, sticking her head out. Much to her surprise, Jason's doctor was already headed toward them, a nurse and his parents in tow.

"What happened?" Dr. Langley asked, pulling on gloves as they reached the room and walking in, trying to figure out what had happened.

"I was sitting with him and he just woke up," Kelsi relayed, standing back with Jason's parents as the doctor stepped up to his bedside. "He tried to talk, but he started choking and then all the monitors went off, and I tried to calm him down, but it wasn't working, so then I was coming to get you-"

The doctor held up a hand to cut her off, stopping her in mid-ramble.

"That'll do, Kelsi," she said, taking her stethoscope from her neck and placing it to Jason's chest. Turning to her patient, she addressed him directly.

"Jason, my name is Dr. Langley," she began speaking slowly and clearly to make sure she had his attention as she straightened up and put back the stethoscope. "I need you to focus on me for a little bit, and we'll see what we can do about that tube in your throat. If you understand, I want you to blink twice, okay? Try not to move your head."

Jason blinked twice, and the doctor smiled at him.

"That's good, Jason, it's very good," she said sweetly, taking care to keep him from further panic. "Okay, Jason, there is a tube in your throat to help you breathe, as I'm sure you've figured out. I think it's safe to remove it, so on the count of three I want you to take a deep breath and blow out quickly, okay? Do you understand?"

Jason blinked twice again, and Dr. Langley nodded, stepping forward and removing the tape that had secured the tube, taking hold of it in one hand. Turning to the nurse, she asked for an oxygen mask to be readied, so that they could quickly replace Jason's oxygen supply if necessary.

"Okay, Jason, are you ready?" she asked, looking intently at her patient. Kelsi, Carrie, and David stood back anxiously, waiting for the procedure to be finished. "Alright, on the count of three…one…two…three!" Dr. Langley quickly pulled the tube out of Jason's throat, leaving him coughing on the bed. The nurse quickly placed the oxygen mask over his nose and throat, and the doctor advised him to take slow, deep breaths to catch his breath.

Several minutes later, it seemed that Jason had caught his breath, and his mother stepped forward with the blessing of the doctor, tears of happiness sliding down her cheeks as she reached for Jason's hand.

"Jason, baby, we were so worried about you," she whispered, holding his hand to her heart as she looked at her son. He tried to reach up to the mask, but found his other arm was bound in an air cast, and he looked questioningly at the doctor, who reached forward to remove the mask for him.

"We'll talk about that in a little bit," Dr. Langley advised, motioning to the nurse to leave the four of them in peace. "I think we'll leave you to catch up first, and your parents should be able to fill you in a little bit." With that she walked from the room, leaving Kelsi and Carrie to stand at Jason's side as David hung back slightly, watching his son with clear happiness crossing his face.

"Mom?" Jason asked quietly in a raspy voice, pain and exhaustion evident in his tone. "Mom, what-what happened?"

"Jason, do you remember the accident?" Carrie asked, looking in concern at her son. Jason struggled for a moment, clearly trying to remember.

"I-I remember bringing you home," he said to Kelsi, scrunching up his eyes in concentration. "And then-" he trailed off, the details of the accident jumping into his mind.

"Mom, how bad is it?"

Carrie was silent, as were Kelsi and David.

"Mom?"

"Sweetie, maybe we should let the doctor talk to you about that," Carrie whispered, trying to avoid the subject.

Jason looked away from them, their silence conveying the severity of his injuries to him, and making him realize how badly he had been hurt. Sighing gently, he looked out the window, a single tear escaping from his eye and running down his cheek, the salt stinging the lacerations on his face.

* * *

Kelsi sat outside Jason's room, her head in her hands as the doctor talked to him inside. Looking up when she heard footsteps in the hall, she locked eyes with Nick, who was carrying a little girl in his arms as another one walked at his side, her little brother tightly holding to her hand.

"Kelsi," he acknowledged, nodding as they drew up even with each other. The little girl clung shyly to his chest, burying her face in his shoulder.

"Hey, Nick. Did your father call you?"

"Yeah. Are they in there with the doctor?"

Kelsi nodded.

"Who are they?" she asked, gesturing to the three little kids.

"Oh, they're our half-brother and sisters. This one's Sarah, she's four," he said gesturing to the little girl in his arms. "And this is Mandi, she's eleven, and Jesse, he's two. They're all my dad's kids, but they wanted to come see Jason."

"I'm sure he'd love that," Kelsi smiled, completely sincere. "I think he could use some cheering up."

"Have they told him?"

"I'm not sure. They've been in there for awhile, but I don't know if he's figured it out." As if to contradict her point, the door opened and Dr. Langley walked out, a grim look on her face as she 

walked past them. She didn't even acknowledge the fact that children weren't allowed in the ICU, but let them go into his room, smiling half-heartedly at Kelsi and Nick as she moved to her next patient.

Carrie was sitting at Jason's side, wiping away tears as she looked at her son. David was leaning against the window, looking everywhere but at the figure in the bed. Jason himself was lying limply in his bed, staring absently at the ceiling.

"Hey, Jase," Nick greeted, trying to alert his brother to their presence. "Nice to see you've decided to join us again," he added, joking with his brother.

"Hey, Nick," Jason said tiredly, smiling slightly as he looked at them. "Hey, Mandi, Sarah."

"Jason!" Jesse cried, running up to the bed and standing on his tiptoes, trying to reach his half-brother in the bed.

"Hey, little man," Jason smiled, reaching out with his good hand and ruffling his little brother. "What's up?"

"Jason, why you sleep?" Jesse asked, his English broken and hesitant but still good for a two-year-old.

"Jesse, you remember that time you fell down and got a boo-boo?" Nick asked, picking his little brother up as he set Sarah gently on the edge of the bed, letting her reach forward to hug Jason.

"Uh-huh," Jesse nodded, looking intently up at Nick.

"Well, Jason has a lot of boo-boos. And he has to stay here for a little while, so that his boo-boos can get all better, okay? Maybe if you give him a hug, he might feel better."

Jesse nodded eagerly, and reached forward to hug his brother, but no one missed the flash of pain that crossed his features.

"Hey, Jesse, what do you say we go get a snack," David asked, taking his young son by the hand and trying to keep him from causing more pain to Jason.

"Okay," Jesse cried, jumping off the bed and taking his father's hand.

"Hey Mandi, why don't you take Sarah and go with them?" Nick asked, picking his sister up off the bed and setting her back on her feet. "You can come say goodbye to Jason later."

The four left, leaving Nick, Kelsi, Carrie, and Jason alone in the room.

"How are you really?" Nick asked as soon as they were alone, looking intently at Jason.

"How do you think?" Jason shot back, glaring at his brother.

"Jason, man, I didn't-"

"No, Nick, I'm sorry," Jason relented, closing his eyes. "I just-I have a lot to deal with."

"And you don't have to do it alone," Carrie spoke up, stroking her son's hair. "We're all here to help you, you only need to ask."

"Please, Jason," Nick agreed, nodding emphatically.

"Yes, Jase, I want to help you," Kelsi added, resting her hand on his arm. "Whatever happens, I'll be here to help you through it."

* * *

A/N: Well, that was fun. This was originally supposed to go further in the future, but it didn't go as planned so eventually it may end up a chapter longer than I expected. Oh well…I hope you all enjoyed it anyway!

Chapter Glossary:

ET tube: endotracheal tube; tubes inserted during intubation into the patient's throat to secure an airway

Reviews greatly appreciated, as always!


	7. Chapter 7

Disclaimer: Not mine, don't sue. Belongs to Disney.

A/N: This is finally the full explanation of the Jason/Kelsi thing and Jason's reactions to his paralysis…Hope you guys like it…

Takes place a day or two after chapter 6.

Enjoy!

* * *

Jason bit his lip against the pain as Dr. Langley checked his ribs, drawing in a sharp breath and blinking the tears that had sprung to his eyes away. The doctor frowned at his reaction, pulling back and hanging her stethoscope around her neck, jotting down a note on Jason's chart before addressing him.

"Are you in a lot of pain, Jason?" she asked, crossing her arms and looking intently at the teen. Jason tried to shrug, but remembered his injuries, so he spoke.

"Not really," he lied, looking away from the doctor to hide his fib. She saw through his act, though, and stepped closer to the bed, reaching out to his IV bag and checking the meds.

"You're completely out of morphine, Jason, are you sure you're feeling okay? You should say something if you're in pain."

Jason laughed humorlessly, looking back at the doctor.

"What do you think?" he asked bitterly, staring into her eyes. "No, I'm perfectly fine, and not in any pain at all. God, is everyone here an idiot?"

"Jason, there's no need for the sarcasm," Dr. Langley said, shaking her head. "We're only here to help you. I understand this is frustrating, but-"

"No, you don't understand!" Jason raised his voice, raising his uninjured hand to his forehead and brushing his hair away from his face. "No one understands! I've been stuck in this fucking bed all day long, and no one can even tell me what's wrong! I've been awake for a whole two days now."

Dr. Langley sighed at Jason's outburst, closing her eyes for a moment before addressing him.

"Jason, I'm aware that I haven't fully explained the extent of your injuries yet, but your condition has been too fragile. Your parents asked that we wait, to avoid further complications."

"Just tell me, right now. Am I ever going to walk again?"

"Jason, with these kinds of injuries-"

"No, I don't want to skirt the issue. I want an answer. You said when I woke up that I had a spinal cord injury, but no one's told me how bad."

Dr. Langley pulled a chair over to the bed, sitting down heavily and looking sadly at her patient.

"Jason, you understand that you suffered very severe injuries only days ago, and it is too soon to tell how badly you'll be affected, don't you? Even the best medical experts wouldn't be able to guess."

"Then give me your opinion," Jason said, considerably more subdued as he looked into the doctor's eyes. His moods had been shifting wildly since he had found out the extent of his injuries, but this was the first time he was actually confronting the issue that had been bothering him most. "Please, I just want to know. I-I'm scared, okay? I've never felt like this before, and I just-please, just tell me."

Dr. Langley took a deep breath, but made sure to keep eye contact with Jason as she answered.

"I'm afraid that your injury was too complicated, Jason. The location, the severity-to put it bluntly, no, I don't think you'll walk again." She paused, letting that sink in before continuing. "I hate to put this on you, but I feel that it's time you knew. I understand your frustration, but we were trying to do what we felt was best."

Jason didn't reply, but averted his eyes, trying to hide the tears that filled them as he listened to the doctor.

"Jason, you need to understand that you're lucky to even be alive. It took hours of surgery to stabilize your condition, and you were in a coma for three days. I know it's not much comfort, but at least you're still here, with your family and friends."

Jason stared ahead of him, his eyes glazed over. Dr. Langley ran a hand over her eyes tiredly, unsure if Jason was even listening. She had seen this reaction many times in similar cases, patients who, with their whole lives ahead of them, had had their dreams ripped from them in a matter of seconds. It pained her to bring such bad news, but it was unavoidable.

"I'll be back to check on you later," she said quietly, resting a comforting hand on Jason's shoulder. "Your parents are just outside, I'll let them back in."

With that she left the room, filling Jason's parents in before walking away to attend to her other patients.

* * *

Kelsi stood uncertainly outside Jason's hospital room, struggling with her emotions. His mother had called to tell her that Dr. Langley had broken the news earlier in the day, and that Jason wasn't taking it well. Kelsi had known all along that he'd be upset by it, but it still pained her to know that he was hurting.

Taking a deep breath, she opened the door slowly, walking in quietly to avoid disturbing him. His parents had stepped out for a short time to get some dinner, and Jason was left alone in the bed, sleeping soundly, the rhythmic rising and falling of his chest reminding Kelsi that only a few days previously that same motion had been irregular and uncertain, and she silently thanked God that he had come back to them.

Stepping closer to the bed, Kelsi slipped into the empty chair there and picked up Jason's hand, trying not to wake him. Despite her best efforts, she felt him stirring underneath her hand, and her eyes drifted to his, which were open and looking at her inquisitively.

"Kelsi?" Jason asked groggily, blinking rapidly to clear his vision as her face came into clearer view. "What are you doing here?"

"Your mom called me," Kelsi said, leaning forward to kiss his forehead. "How are you feeling?"

"How do you think?" Jason shot back, instantly regretting his harsh tone. "I'm sorry," he added, closing his eyes. "It's just-it's been a long day."

"I heard," Kelsi said sympathetically, stroking his hand with her thumb in a comforting gesture. "If you need to talk, Jase, I'm here for you."

He looked away from her for a moment, gathering his thoughts. He lifted his hand from her grip and ran it nervously through his hair, clearly struggling for words.

"Jase, whatever it is, you can tell me. I love you, and I'm here for you. Talk to me."

Jason took a deep breath, his reply choked by sobs.

"Kelsi, I-I'm paralyzed," he managed to reply, tears sliding down his cheeks as he looked at her. "I mean, I've known since I woke up that I'd hurt my spinal cord, but today, Dr. Langley-she said-" He trailed off, overcome by his sobs. Kelsi, her heart breaking, reached out and gently rubbed his shoulder, trying to comfort him.

"It's okay, Jason, I'm here," she soothed.

"She doesn't think I'll walk again," Jason finished, a sob wracking his body as he spoke, his shoulders shaking. Despite his best efforts, he was unable to keep from crying, and the tears fell in earnest, sliding unmercifully down his cheeks onto his pillow.

"Oh, Jason," Kelsi whispered, her own voice choked by sobs. Holding back her own tears, she reached forward to brush the tears from Jason's face, trying desperately to keep herself composed. "Jason, I'm so sorry."

"Me too," he muttered bitterly, fresh tears spilling from his eyes. "I just-I don't understand why this happened. What did I do wrong? Why me?"

"Jason, this isn't your fault," Kelsi replied, a single tear sliding down her cheek as she looked at Jason so completely heartbroken and dejected. "You did nothing wrong. This isn't a punishment."

"For you it isn't," Jason snapped, unable to control his anger. "Kelsi, you know what this means, don't you? I'm not going to play basketball again. Any hopes of a scholarship-gone. And graduating with everyone else? Yeah, that's gone, too, because I'm going to be stuck in this god-forsaken hospital for the next two months."

Kelsi sat back slightly, taken aback at the sudden change in Jason's emotions. In the span of a few seconds he had gone from utterly depressed to angry and enraged.

"Jason, I didn't mean to upset you, I just wanted to help. I didn't think-"

"But that's just it, isn't it Kelsi?" Jason asked bitterly, all memory of his sadness and depression forgotten in his need to make someone else hurt as much as he did. "You never think. Remember last year? You didn't think then, either, Kelsi, and someone ended up getting hurt."

"Jason, I apologized for that," Kelsi said quietly, her voice filled with hurt and pain as Jason shot accusations at her, clearly hitting a nerve. "I never meant-"

"I'm sure Ryan never meant anything by it either, right? That's why he kissed you."

"Jason, we never kissed. You took it out of context, we were just practicing for the musical."

Jason laughed bitterly at her reply, thinking back to that day. He knew that deep down, he believed her, but he was too wrapped up in his own pain and suffering to care about her feelings. He thought 

back to the moment he had walked in, thought back to seeing Ryan's face inches from Kelsi's, and remembered his reaction.

FLASHBACK

Jason stopped dead inside the doorway to the music room, a look of shock, pain, and confusion on his face as he looked at Kelsi and Ryan. The two were sitting very close on the piano bench, Ryan's arm braced against the piano as he faced Kelsi, who was looking into his eyes, a small, playful smile on her face. The two were extremely close, and Jason could only guess what he had walked in on.

"Kelsi?" he asked weakly, unable to move as he watched his girlfriend look at another guy the same way she looked at him.

"Jason!" Kelsi cried out, breaking her gaze with Ryan and jumping up in surprise, nearly tripping over the piano bench as she did. "Jason, what are you doing here?"

"Kelsi, what-what's going on?" Jason asked, looking from her to Ryan, then back again. The other boy had also stood up, and was looking fearfully at Jason, clearly afraid of what was about to happen.

"Jason, this isn't what it looks like," Kelsi pleaded, trying to get through to her boyfriend. "Nothing's going on, we were just-"

"She's telling the truth," Ryan cut in, trying to avoid the explosion that he sensed was coming from Jason. "This was all my fault, we were only-"

"I don't want to hear it," Jason cut him off, holding up a hand. His eyes held a look of betrayal that cut deeply into Kelsi's core, making her feel incredibly guilty for what was happening. "Kelsi, I-I can't deal with this," he muttered, turning on his heel and walking out the door.

Kelsi ran after him, fighting the crowd to keep up with him.

"Jason! Jason, please, listen to me!" she cried, ignoring the stares of the other students as she ran after him. "Jason, it isn't what you think!"

"I don't want to hear it, Kelsi," Jason replied, turning sharply and coming face to face with her. "We're through." He pulled the bracelet she had given him from his wrist, pressing it into her hand before turning around and walking away, leaving her standing, shocked, in the hallway.

FLASHBACK

"Jason, you know I never meant anything by it," Kelsi pleaded, trying to calm him down as his anger rose. "This isn't the time to bring it up, you're hurting and-"

"Get out, Kelsi," Jason said calmly, almost a veiled threat in his voice. "I don't want to deal with this right now."

"Jason, please," Kelsi pleaded, putting a hand on his arm, trying to placate him.

"Kelsi, I'm sorry," Jason said, looking intently into her eyes. "I can't deal with this right now, and I just need you to leave me alone, okay? Can you do that?"

Kelsi nodded, tears filling her eyes as she stood up and hastily ran out the door, accidentally bumping into Nick as she ran. She muttered an apology, but didn't even stop to acknowledge him.

"Jason?" Nick asked, walking tentatively up to the bed. "What was that about? Why did Kelsi just run from here like her life depended on it?"

Jason shrugged as best he could, avoiding his older brother's eyes.

"Jason, what did you say?"

"I yelled at her, okay?" Jason said, finally acknowledging Nick's presence. "I was upset, and she was an easy target. So I yelled at her."

Nick shook his head sadly. The Jason he knew was a kind, compassionate person who rarely was short with his friends, but it was clear that the accident had changed that. The teenager lying before him was completely different from the Jason he had known before the crash.

"Jason, I know this a tough time for you," Nick said, patting his younger brother on the shoulder. "I know how upset you are, but you need to give Kelsi a break. It's hurting her as much as it's hurting you."

"She's not the one lying in a bed, unable to feel her legs, is she? How is it hurting her as much?"

"Jason, she's hurting emotionally. It's killing her to see you in so much pain. She has feelings for you, it's obvious to everyone around you."

"I don't love her anymore," Jason said quietly, his manner becoming subdued very quickly.

"That's not true, and you know it. I remember how much you loved her," Nick said, looking sadly at his little brother. "I know she hurt you last year, but you can't pretend that you don't share her feelings. I know, Jase, I've been there."

"But I can't-it's too much," Jason said, looking at Nick. "I've got too much to deal with right now. I woke up two days ago to find out that, while I was unconscious, my entire life changed. My entire future changed. You don't know what that's like, Nick. Everything I've dreamed about, everything I've wanted, it's gone. In the blink of an eye."

"Jason, I can't begin to understand what you're going through. No one can, and we know that. But you can't shut us out. It'll only hurt you more."

"I can't, Nick. I just-it's so hard. I don't even know where to go from here. I wish-I wish I hadn't survived. I wish that stupid kid had killed me that night. It would have been so much simpler than this."

"God, Jason, how could you even think that?" Nick asked, tears springing to his eyes as his younger brother voice his depression. "You're alive, and that's a miracle. It's a gift, Jason. You survived for a reason, and you need to understand that. So maybe your life is going to be different. But you're here, and that's what's most important."

Jason swallowed heavily, looking at his older brother. The two had always shared an unbreakable bond, one that was currently being put to a test stronger than it ever had been.

"I feel so helpless," Jason conceded, finally revealing the truth behind his outbursts. "I've never felt this helpless. I've never needed to rely on someone else. I need help, Nick, and that scares me. I can't be independent anymore. I can't rely on myself anymore, and that terrifies me. I'm more scared than I've ever been in my whole life."

* * *

A/N: So, that was interesting…and depressing…and kind of long…but I finally explained the Kelsi/Jason debacle! YAY!

Anyway, reviews greatly appreciated, as always!


	8. Chapter 8

* * *

Disclaimer: Not mine, don't sue. Belongs to Disney. I do own Andrew Higgins.

A/N: Oh, by the way, a few questions were raised as to the character of Nick. Yes, he is my own original character, as are Carrie (Jason's mom), David (his dad), and Jesse, Mandi, and Sarah (his other siblings). They will all probably make another appearance in this chapter, or the next. To clear it up: Jason and Nick's parents divorced, and their father remarried a woman named Lisa. Lisa and David had three kids together. And that is my version of Jason's family. :D

Takes place maybe two-three weeks after the last chapter. Jason's healing up well, at least physically.

Enjoy!

* * *

Troy stood nervously outside Jason's room, steeling himself to enter. Jason had been moved to a private room the day before, his condition downgraded from critical to stable. After more than two weeks in the ICU, he was finally well enough to lose some of the wires and tubes that had sustained him those two weeks, most notably the chest tube, oxygen tubing, and constant vital monitors.

Troy hadn't visited his friend once in the ICU, afraid to face Jason, afraid to face the reality of what had happened. From what Kelsi had told him, Jason had been having a hard time dealing, and just the day before had kicked her from his room, unable to share his feelings with her. Sighing, Troy raised his fist and knocked on the door frame, walking through the open door after a quiet "Come in" from inside.

"Hey, Jason," Troy said quietly, coming to stand at the side of the bed, awkwardly shoving his hands into his jeans' pockets and looking at the floor.

"Troy," Jason acknowledged, nodding at his friend. He couldn't keep the slight note of disappointment that colored his words, the slight hint of annoyance.

"Listen, Kelsi told me-"

"Where have you been?" Jason asked suddenly, his words dripping venom. He was staring Troy down, his eyes boring into his friend. Troy shifted uncomfortably under Jason's glare, but he understood where Jason was coming from.

"Jason, I-I couldn't. I mean, I don't like hospitals, I don't-"

"You could have visited, man. I've been awake for a week and a half now. Everyone in the world has been to visit. Hell, even your father came last week Troy."

"Jason, I-there's no excuse. We've been friends for years, I should've have been there for you."

"Yes, Troy you should've."

Troy shifted his weight, finally looking into Jason's eyes. He took a deep breath, preparing himself for what he was about to say.

"Jason, I-to tell you the truth, I was afraid. I was afraid of what you'd say."

"Why?"

"Did they tell you who hit you?"

Jason shook his head, looking questioningly at his friend. Troy took a deep breath, bracing himself for the explosion he fully anticipated.

"Jase, it was Andrew Higgins. He-he was the one driving the truck. He was drunk."

"Wait," Jason interrupted, thinking hard. "Higgins was-he was at your party. I remember, he was the one singing on the stereo, right? He was plastered by the time I left with Kelsi. How could-" He stopped, realization dawning on his face as he looked at Troy.

"Jason, I'm sorry, I-"

"You let him leave," Jason stated plainly, looking into Troy's face for confirmation. "He was drunk, and you let him drive home."

"Jason, I wasn't in any condition to be talking to anyone, I didn't realize how bad he was-"

"You let him drive, and he ran a red light. He almost killed me, Troy, and you want me to forgive you because you were drunk? Why didn't you stop him? God, Troy, what the hell is your problem? Why am I the one being punished for your mistakes?"

"Jason, man, I am so sorry. I never meant any harm, it was just a party. It was a party, for God's sake, everyone was drinking. It wasn't any different than the other parties."

"Except this time someone got hurt, right Troy? That's what makes this different."

"You have no idea how much I regret letting him go, Jason. Every day since I heard about the accident I've felt horrible. My parents are in trouble with the cops, we have to pay fines. You're here, and Higgins ended up in jail. I feel so guilty."

"You've felt horrible? Troy, I can't feel the lower half of my body. The rest I can feel hurts every second of every day. Do you think it's been a picnic?"

"Jason, I know I made a mistake. But, please, we've been friends since first grade. Please don't let this affect our friendship."

"Troy, you let the kid who took away my future drive drunk. I don't know if I can forgive you, at least not right now."

Troy looked into Jason's eyes, taken aback by the hurt, anger, and sadness he saw looking back at him. He knew that Jason needed something to lash out at, someone to blame for what had happened. While he himself hadn't been driving the truck, he knew that what he had done hurt Jason almost as much as the actual crash.

"I can accept that," Troy said quietly. "I can't blame you, Jason, because I have no idea what you're going through. I just hope that one day we can fix this."

"I don't know, Troy," Jason, said, turning his head as much as his neck brace would allow and staring out the window. Troy nodded, resigning himself to the fact that he wouldn't get through to Jason in the near future.

"Get better, Jase. Stay strong, and let Kelsi help you through this. Let your family help you through this.

* * *

He turned on his heel, walking from the room without a second glance, unable to shake the feeling that a hole had been widened in their long friendship, a friendship that had seen plenty of hardships. Somehow, though, he felt that they may not overcome this one.

Jason lay in his hospital bed, staring absently at the ceiling, replaying his conversation with Troy over and over in his head. He couldn't help but feel sad, even though he was truly upset with his friend. Sighing, Jason looked toward the door, surprised to see that Kelsi was standing in the doorway.

"When did you get here?" he asked, motioning for her to walk over with his good hand.

"A few minutes ago. I thought you were asleep."

"No," Jason said quietly, shaking his head as much as he could. "Listen, Kels, I'm sorry about yesterday. I was hurting, but I shouldn't have taken it out on you."

"I-" Kelsi began, but looking at Jason she seemed to change her thinking. "I forgive you," she finished, walking over to the bed and sitting gently on the edge, taking Jason's hand in hers.

"Troy came to visit today," Jason said, looking up at Kelsi. "He said you talked to him."

"What happened?" Kelsi asked, absently twisting Jason's ID bracelet in her fingers.

"He told me that Andrew Higgins was the on who hit me. Troy let him drive home from the party."

"Oh, Jason, I'm so sorry," Kelsi whispered, reaching forward to brush his hair from his forehead. Jason shrugged slightly, bring his good hand up to stroke Kelsi's hair, smiling in a defeated way.

"What's done is done," he said, his fingers twisting around her hair as he pulled her closer. "Kelsi, I was talking to Nick the other day. He-he said some things, things that made sense. I wanted to tell you-" Jason trailed off, looking away, embarrassed, as Kelsi brought her face inches from his.

"What is it, Jason?"

"I love you, Kelsi. I always have, and I probably always will." With that Jason pulled her as close as he could, kissing her gently, tenderly. She froze, surprised, but in a few moments returned the kiss, the forgotten passion and love that they had shared the year before finally coming to the surface.

"What's going on in here?" a loud, cheery voice asked at the door, causing Jason and Kelsi to break apart quickly. "I thought this was a hospital."

"Hey, Chad," Jason said quickly, his and Kelsi's cheeks turning red as Chad walked into the room, going to the bed and punching Jason lightly on the shoulder.

"Glad to see you finally getting around," Chad joked, smiling at his friend.

"Very funny," Jason replied, smiling at Kelsi. Chad shook his head, looking behind him before turning to Jason.

"So, since you're finally allowed to have more visitors, and since you can't exactly come to the party we were going to have after school to celebrate making it to the championships, we brought the party to you," Chad said, simultaneously telling Jason that the Wildcats were once again in the state championships and that he would be having a group of people in his room in a matter of minutes. Jason smiled broadly, squeezing Kelsi's hand.

"Guys, come on!" Chad called, running to the door and waving to someone. In a moment, a steady stream of people spilled into the room, a crowd of red-and-white clad teenagers bearing balloons, flowers, cards, and banners.

"This is our way of saying that we're behind you, one hundred percent," Zeke said, stepping out from the crowd and handing an envelope to Jason. "The whole team got together, and the cheerleaders, and the drama club, and the band, and pretty much the whole school, and we put this together. It isn't much, but we hope it'll help."

Jason handed the envelope to Kelsi, who opened it in awe, tears sliding down her cheeks as she read the contents.

"Oh, Jason," she whispered, bringing her hand to her mouth as she handed the paper to her boyfriend. She turned, smiling broadly at Zeke, who was standing hand in hand with Sharpay. Behind them were the members of the basketball and cheerleading teams, several members of the drama club, and many other students from East High.

Jason took the paper from Kelsi, his eyes filling with tears as he read. In his hands he held a check for three thousand dollars, and a letter filled with get-well wishes from students. A tear slid down Jason's cheek as he read the messages, the paper shaking in his hands.

"I-I don't know what to say," he said, looking up at Zeke. "This is so generous, so-" He broke off, overcome with sobs. Zeke stepped forward, resting his hand on Jason's shoulder.

"Jason, we know this is hard for you. And we know you're going to need help, from all of us. We're here for you, whenever you need us."

* * *

Nick walked into Jason's room, only mildly surprised by the dozens of flower arrangements that now littered the room, accompanied by a "Get Well Soon, Jason" banner and dozens of balloons. He had known that Jason was well-liked at school, but the outpouring of love and support for his little brother was overwhelming.

"Hey, Jason," he greeted, walking up to Jason's bed. "I see it's been an exciting day."

"You could say that again," Jason muttered darkly, both the events of the party and Troy's visit playing themselves over in his head.

"What's that supposed to mean?" Nick asked, leaning against the window and looking at Jason.

"I found out that one of my best friends let the guy who ruined my life drive drunk. That's what that's supposed to mean."

"Who, Troy?" Nick asked, surprise finding it's way into his voice.

"No, Kelsi," Jason replied sarcastically, the stress of having bottled his reaction up all day finally getting to him.

"What'd he say?" Nick asked, ignoring the comment. He was growing accustomed to ignoring Jason's outbursts, being that they were now frequent and often unavoidable.

"He said he was sorry. Like I'm supposed to believe him," Jason spat, his voice rising in anger and frustration. "Sorry doesn't cut it, not now."

"You think maybe you're being a little hard on him?"

"No, Nick, I don't," Jason replied, lashing out at his brother. "He let someone drink and drive, and that someone almost killed me. You said yourself that it's a miracle I'm alive. Well, that's no thanks to Troy."

"Jason, he wasn't the one driving the truck."

"So?"

"So, I think you're looking for someone to blame, and you're blaming the wrong person. In a few days, you'll see that-"

"No, I won't see, Nick. I'll never see, just like I'll never walk. Troy may not have been the one behind the wheel, but he sure as hell did more than enough. I think I have a right to be mad."

"You do have a right to be mad, Jason. You have a right to be mad at Troy, at me, at mom and dad, at Kelsi, at the kid who hit you. Hell, you can even be mad at God for all I care. But it's not going to change what happened. It's not going to fix you. It's going to hurt the people around you, and it's going to hurt you."

"It makes me feel better," Jason replied bitterly, refusing to look at Nick.

"Jason, I'm not perfect, and I can't stand here and preach to you that I wouldn't feel the same way. I know I would. Hell, I'd probably hate everyone in the world if I was in your situation. But a positive outlook would probably be better for you, and for your recovery. Too much negativity is going to hurt you in the long run."

"You sound like a shrink," Jason muttered, his tone reminiscent of that of a little kid who was stubbornly refusing to go to bed.

"Speaking of shrinks, maybe it's not such a bad idea for you to see one," Nick changed the subject, trying to get Jason back to a happier state of mind. He had apparently chosen the wrong way to do it, though.

"I'm not crazy, and I'm not going to see a shrink."

"Jason, you know that Dr. Langley recommended it. You've had so much to deal with lately, maybe it would be a good idea to talk to someone."

"I doubt it."

"That's unfortunate, because Dr. Langley scheduled you an appointment for tomorrow morning. Mom and dad know about it already. They agreed that it was for the best."

"What?"

"Jason, I agree too. I care about you, and I don't want to see you hurting. You've always been there for me, even though you were younger than me. I've always been closer to you than to either mom or dad. I don't want to lose you."

* * *

A/N: Well, that was interesting…not. I wanted to have the shrink in this chapter, but it kind of got away from me. Next chapter, I promise.

Reviews greatly appreciated, as always!


	9. Chapter 9

Disclaimer: Not mine, don't sue. Belongs to Disney. I do own Jason's family.

A/N: So, I bet no one is reading this anymore, because of my massively long non-updating period. I sincerely apologize, but there are not enough hours in the day. Since I last posted, I have had a history test, two math tests, two physics tests, a religion test, and a massive history project due, plus homework, other duties, and getting up at 4:30 for swim practice. Time really gets away from you when you are so busy…

I hope to post several chapters over Christmas break, being that I'll have a lot of time on my hands. I apologize once again for the delay, and I hope someone enjoys this chapter.

Enjoy!

* * *

Jason leaned heavily against his pillows, his head tilted slightly to the side as he looked at the psychiatrist sitting next to him. Against his wishes, and every refusal he had made, his parents and doctor had insisted that he see the shrink, and, because he was bed-ridden, he was not in a position to argue.

"Jason, how have you been feeling since the accident?" the doctor, whose name badge read "Dr. Allison Hunter," asked, looking intently at Jason through her thin framed black glasses, her straight blonde hair framing her face as she tilted her head to the side, pen poised over her notes.

"How do you think?" Jason asked bitterly, trying to avoid the question.

"I'm sure you've been feeling upset, and hurt. But I need to know if you've had any other feelings, Jason. Have you been depressed? Thought of suicide?"

Jason laughed humorlessly, staring her down.

"Of course I've been depressed. Do they honestly pay you to do this?"

"Why are you depressed, Jason?"

"Well, let's see. Maybe it's the fact that I'm stuck in this bed all day while my friends get to keep on living. Maybe it's the fact that everything I do causes me pain. Oh, and I forgot the small fact that I can't walk."

"And that makes you upset? Angry?"

"God, are you an idiot? Yes, I'm upset, and I'm angry. My life was taken from me in a few seconds, and there's nothing I can do about it. Of course I'm upset."

"But you need to make the best of what you've been given, Jason. Yes, your life is different now. No one can deny that. But at least you are alive. There are many who wouldn't have been as fortunate."

"That makes me feel so much better," he said sarcastically, looking away.

The psychiatrist scribbled a note down on her tablet at this, noting Jason's reactions. She was beginning to understand what was going on with Jason, but she wanted to talk to a few colleagues before coming up with a definite diagnosis.

"Jason, you need to think positively about this. It will help you heal, help you move on. The best medicine for you right now is a positive state of mind, until you can begin physical therapy and begin getting back on the right track."

"You are honestly the worst shrink ever, you know that? All you've done is repeat exactly what everyone has been telling me. It didn't work when they said it, and it isn't working now."

"It will help in time, Jason. The accident is still too fresh in your mind, too painful. With time, you'll be able to look past it, and look forward."

A knock at the door interrupted the conversation, preceding Dr. Langley's entrance into the room.

"Dr. Hunter? You're being paged to the psych ward," she informed the other woman, stepping over to the bed and taking Jason's chart from the holder. She flipped through the pages, looking over the on call resident's notes as Dr. Hunter gathered her things and said goodbye to Jason.

"If you need to talk, don't hesitate to call me," she told him, handing him her business card. "Day or night, it's alright." She shook Jason's hand, smiling warmly at him before motioning for Dr. Langley to follow her into the hall.

"What do you think's going on?"

"It's classic PTSD. It's still a little too soon to make an official diagnosis, but I'll monitor him for the next few weeks, and discuss it with a few colleagues. It definitely seems like that's the case, though, which isn't surprising given the severity of the accident and his injuries. I'd also like someone to keep a close eye on him, just in case he begins to develop suicidal tendencies. I'm going to list him as slight risk, but if he gets any more depressed or moody, I may want to have him admitted to the unit or placed under twenty-four hour watch. I've seen too many cases like this where the kid's bottled up their emotions, and it led to a breaking point, but no one was there to step in. I don't want that to happen to him."

"I'll mark it on his chart, and alert the on call docs. Thanks for taking the time to talk to him, I know he's a hard one to reach."

"Not a problem. Make sure you call me if he gets any worse."

Dr. Langley nodded, shaking hands with the other doctor, turning back into Jason's room as Dr. Hunter walked toward the elevators. She was stopped, though, by a soft call from Carrie Andrews, who was walking toward her, David and his three kids in tow, Nick not far behind.

"What happened?" she asked, reaching the doctor and shaking her hand, waiting patiently for the answer.

"Dr. Hunter just finished her evaluation. She's placed Jason at risk for depression and PTSD, and also placed him on a slight-risk suicide watch." Catching Carrie and David's alarmed look, she raced to reassure them. "It's normal procedure for someone who has suffered a tragic event like Jason," she said, reaching out to touch Carrie's arm. " I personally don't think Jason will attempt anything, but Dr. Hunter just wanted to be safe. It's more likely that he's suffering severe depression or Post Traumatic Stress Disorder, both of which can be easily managed. Dr. Hunter is going to monitor his status for a while, and she'll be able to better diagnose him in a few weeks."

"Are you sure he'll be okay?"

"Ms. Andrews, I honestly think that Jason will be able to cope. It'll also probably help that we're having one of our physical therapists come up to work with him a little today."

"Isn't it too soon for that?" David asked, shifting Jesse, who was clinging to his neck, in his arms.

"Nothing too big, just some stretching exercises so that Jason's muscles don't begin to atrophy. Trust me, Mr. Cross, I wouldn't give him anything he wasn't ready for." She looked at her watch, mildly surprised at the time. "I'm sorry, I have to get ready for surgery, I'm do in the OR in half an hour. I'll be back to check on Jason later."

She shook both parents' hands, smiling at Nick and the kids before striding down the hallway.

"Daddy, I wanna see Jason!" Sarah whined, tugging on her father's shirt. She was looking at him impatiently, her other hand tightly grasped in her older sister's. Mandi was standing at Nick's side, nervously glancing toward the door. This was the first time they had been to visit Jason since he had been moved form ICU, and, being the eldest, and Jason's favorite, she was wary of what her older brother would be like.

"Alright, Sar, let's go see Jason," David, said, taking her hand in his and leading her into the room, holding Jesse in his free arm. Carrie followed behind Nick and Mandi, holding a bag for Jason that she had put together.

"Hey, guys," Jason said quietly, smiling half-heartedly at his family. Jesse immediately began to squirm, trying to get from his father's arms to Jason's bed. David laughed, placing the toddler on the bed, reaching down to lift Sarah next to him. Jesse immediately reached for Jason's arms, trying to hug him.

"Hey, Jesse," Jason smiled, reaching forward with his good arm to ruffle Jesse's hair. "How are you, bud?"

"I good, Jason," Jesse smiled, crawling up to Jason's chest and laying his head down, the gesture loving and sweet. Jason froze for a moment, surprised, but then rested his hand on Jesse's head, hugging his little brother to him.

"Hey, Jason," Sarah said quietly, trying to squeeze next to Jason on the bed and hug him like Jesse. Jason kissed her forehead, hugging her to him as she shyly played with his hospital ID bracelet, her four-year old mind unable to comprehend the fact that Jason couldn't make room for her on the bed.

"Jason," Mandi said quietly, stepping up to the side of the bed, reaching tentatively to touch his elbow. Tears filled her eyes as she looked her brother up and down, and she was unable to stop them from falling.

"Hey," Jason said quietly, motioning for her to come closer so that he could hug her as well. "It's not that bad, don't cry."

"I'm sorry, Jason," Mandi whispered, slowly entwining her hand in his, remembering all the times he had held her hand as she stood next to him, helping her cross the street, or waiting in line at an amusement park. She used her sleeve to wipe her eyes, but the effort proved fruitless as more tears spilled from her eyes.

"Mandi, don't cry," Jason said, pulling her closer. "I'm okay, it's alright. You don't need to be upset, I'm gonna be okay."

He smiled at her slightly as she buried her face in his shoulder, her tears staining his hospital gown.

"I'm gonna be okay."

* * *

Later that day, after David had taken the kids home, after Jesse had fallen asleep on Jason's chest, and Sarah had begun whining that she was hungry, Jason was alone again, left with his thoughts and memories. He had found that, lately, he had been plagued by memories of the accident, flashes of pain, light, and sound, flashes that didn't make any sense alone but were slowly allowing him to piece together what had happened.

He remembered driving Kelsi home, and then leaving her house after tucking her in. He remembered pulling up to the light, accelerating through the intersection after receiving the green. After that, everything became a blur. He had a vague memory of spinning, and then hitting the other car. Then came a blur of names and faces, presumably the ambulance crew and police officers that had rescued him. He remembered someone named Alex with him in the car, but he couldn't remember what he had been saying or why he was there.

As Jason ran over the thoughts flashing through his mind, his reverie was interrupted by a soft knock at the door. Expecting to see Kelsi or Nick, or one of his parents, Jason answered, "Come in," and turned his head to face the door. To his surprise, Andrew Higgins walked timidly into the room, his head bowed, avoiding making eye contact with Jason.

Andrew's left arm was in a sling, and a slight scar ran across his forehead, but other than that, he didn't appear to be injured too severely. Jason gaped for a moment, speechless.

"Jason," Andrew said, breaking the silence. He jammed his hand into his pocket, standing anxiously in front of the bed.

"Higgins," Jason said coolly, amazed that he had even been able to get that one word out. He was shocked that Higgins had the nerve to show up here, while he was stuck in a hospital bed and unable to move or retaliate. He found it hard to believe that he was looking at the kid who had ruined his life, and he was struck dumb.

"Listen, Jason, I just-I wanted to apologize. I didn't mean to-"

At that, Jason finally found his voice.

"Apologize?" he gaped, his voice betraying his skepticism. "You want to apologize?"

"I know I don't really have a right, but-come on, man, I really am sorry."

"You're sorry? Do you have eyes, Higgins? Can you look around you?"

"Jason, I-"

"I don't want to see you. Get the hell away from me."

"Man, I didn't mean anything. It was an accident, a stupid-"

"Accident? Higgins, you were drunk. Actually, you were plastered. I happen to know that your blood alcohol was twice the normal limit. That's not an accident, Higgins. You should be in jail."

"I was in jail, but I posted bail."

"Then there's something wrong with the system, because you should still be in prison. You almost killed me, Andrew, and that's not to mention that other woman."

"I know what I did, Jason, you don't need to remind me. Don't you know I think about it everyday?"

"You think about it everyday? Andrew, I'm paralyzed. Do you even understand what that means? Because of you, I'm never going to walk again. Because you thought it would be a good idea to drive drunk."

"It wasn't a good idea, okay? I understand that now, and I'm sorry. I'm so fucking sorry."

"You should be," Jason replied coldly, staring the other teen down. His tone and his expression made it clear that he wanted Andrew to leave.

"Alright, I get it. You're not going to forgive me. I just thought-"

"You thought that you could come here and make it go away? It's not going to go away, Andrew. Can't you see that? For me, it's never going to go away. I'll have this for the rest of my life. I don't think I can forgive that."

"I shouldn't have expected that, and I see that now. I'm sorry, Jason, and I guess I'll just go home now."

"I think that would be best."

"I'll-I guess I'll see you at the trial."

Jason didn't reply, but merely watched Andrew leave the room, his expression stony. The second the other teen left, though, his façade crumpled, and he leaned against the pillows, silent tears streaming down his face as he thought about what had just happened. Despite what he had told Mandi earlier, he didn't think he was going to be okay.

* * *

A/N: So, that was fun. Not. It was more continuous than anything I've posted yet, but I liked it. Once again, sorry for the delay. I apologize, and I apologize again, and again, and again….

Reviews greatly appreciated, as always!

Coming in Chapter 10: Jason finds a new outlet for his pain…he learns the road he has to travel for recovery…and Sharpay visits? Lol….


	10. Chapter 10

Disclaimer: Not mine, don't sue. Belongs to Disney.

A/N: I hope you guys are still enjoying this, and I've recently decided to make it longer than I originally intended. I was aiming for 12-13 chapters, but now I'm thinking more 20, maybe even more, depending on how it goes.

Warning: This chapter deals with some darker issues, like suicide and cutting. You have been warned.

Enjoy!

* * *

Jason lay in bed, staring wide-eyed at the ceiling. He didn't need to glance at the clock to know the time-it was well into the early morning. Sleep to that point had eluded him, and he was fighting the darkness and loneliness that pervaded his empty hospital room.

He had started physical therapy the day before, and had only ended up frustrated with his efforts. He hadn't expected immediate improvement, but he certainly hadn't anticipated the complete helplessness he had felt. He had been forced to lie there as the therapist helped him stretch out his legs, unable to even sit up because of his weakness.

The therapist had assured him he would regain his strength, assured him that the weakness was a direct result of being laid up for weeks. Even now, though, he doubted his words, the utter helplessness forcing everything positive from his mind.

Groaning softly to himself, Jason tried to sit up, falling heavily back to his pillows as he failed. The despair was beginning to overwhelm him, despite encouragement from everyone around him. He was struggling with himself, struggling to find a way to release his pain and frustration. As he stared blankly at the ceiling, an idea began to form in his mind.

Reaching for the remote to his bed, he carefully raised the head until he was in a sitting position, the bed supporting him as he sat up. Checking that there was no one in the hallway outside, Jason reached for his nightstand, his fingers closing around the disposable razor that his mother had left there earlier, after his dad had helped him shave for the first time in weeks, being that the stubble on his chin had grown several inches while he was cooped up.

Taking the razor in his hands, he looked thoughtfully at it, twirling it between his fingers. He had read about cutters-kids who hurt themselves as a way to release their pain. He had read that cutting made you feel better, released endorphins and gave you a sort of head rush.

Making up his mind, Jason pulled the sleeve of his t-shirt over his shoulder, laying the blade gently against his upper arm. He figured that it would be easier to hide the cuts there, being that his doctors were always adjusting IVs and taking blood from his forearm.

Closing his eyes and taking a deep breath, Jason drew the blade against his skin, a thin line appearing in its wake, bright red blood blossoming to the surface. Letting out his breath, he opened his eyes, looking in fascination at the cut. Some part of him knew that this was wrong, that it was dangerous. But a larger part took pleasure in the fact that he finally felt relief, comfort. The rational part of his brain couldn't believe that he had actually done it, but the irrational, pain-riddled part shut it out, forced him to pick up the razor again and create a second, longer line beneath the first.

Neither cut was deep enough or long enough to bleed for long, and he was able to pull his shirt back over them after only a few minutes of applying pressure with a tissue from the nightstand. Leaning back against his pillows, he sighed in content, closing his eyes as sleep came to him for the first time that night.

* * *

The next morning, Jason awoke to the sound of hushed conversation at his bedside. Opening his eyes, he saw Dr. Langley, Drew, his therapist, and his parents standing a few feet from the bed, along with a woman in a white coat, whom he didn't recognize. Choosing to listen to their conversation rather than alert them to his awakening, he closed his eyes again, feigning sleep.

"He'll probably have to remain hospitalized for another month, maybe two, then we'll transfer him to a rehab center, where he'll spend anywhere from one month to four, depending on his progress," the unfamiliar woman was saying, clearly addressing his parents.

"Will he ever be able to walk again?" Carrie asked, her voice subdued, as she still believed Jason to be asleep.

"It's doubtful. He suffered a very severe injury, and it's become pretty clear that it will result in paraplegia. While this is a scary thing, it's most certainly not a life-ending injury for Jason."

"But-what about basketball? He was being recruited by a few colleges, what about that?" This time it was his father who had spoken up.

There was a pause, and Jason cracked one eye open, looking at the adults. Carrie and David were looking expectantly at the three professionals. Dr. Langley was hanging back slightly, and Drew and the other woman were fielding the questions. It was clear to Jason that the woman was not a doctor, but some sort of therapist or counselor. He waited to hear her response, but this time, it was Drew who answered.

"Basketball is probably out of the question, at least the kind he used to play. There are other options, though, especially for someone as talented as Jason. There are wheelchair leagues, other games. There are plenty of opportunities."

Jason had become so engrossed in what the therapist was saying that he didn't realize that Dr. Langley was looking directly at him. She smiled at him, before turning to the others and clearing her throat.

"I think we have company," she said, tilting her head toward the bed. Jason smiled sheepishly at his parents, who seemed startled that he had managed to fake sleep for so long.

"Hey, Jason," David said, walking to the bed and clapping his son on the shoulder, smiling at him. "How are you?"

"I'm good, Dad," Jason said, trying to break the awkward feeling in the room. Drew and the other woman walked over to the bed, and Jason could finally read her ID badge, which proclaimed her as Andrea Brinkofski, Occupational Therapist.

"Jason, my name is Andrea, I'm going to be working with you for the next few months, along with Drew, to help you in your recovery," she said, offering her hand, which he shook.

"So, I'm stuck here for another month?" Jason asked, his face downcast and his voice betraying his doubt.

"I'm afraid so, Jason," Dr. Langley spoke up, taking the chart from its holder and looking it over. "Your other injuries aren't healed yet, and we need to make sure you're completely ready to undergo intense therapy before we can release you. Until then, though, you'll be working daily with Drew to regain your strength, and Andrea is going to help you adjust to using your wheelchair and to the complications and difficulties that are going to come up."

"What about my legs?" Jason asked, addressing his doctor directly. "I mean, what about the breaks and stuff? You said that they weren't all healed, do I need more surgery?"

"We're going to reassess the situation in the next couple of days, but it's highly likely that we'll be bringing you back to the OR to repair some of the other damage. The breaks in your arm are healing nicely, though, and it should be much of the same for your legs. What we managed to repair seems to be working out, so we should be able to take another look, see what we can do."

"More surgery?" Carrie asked, unconsciously gripping Jason's hand.

"It's a good possibility, being that there are several unhealed and unaddressed breaks in his legs, which, if not fixed, could lead to problems in the future."

"But if he can't walk anyway, why should we put him through that?"

"If the fractures are left unaddressed, they could heal incorrectly, leading to growth problems and infections. It would be best if we fixed them, but we'll talk about his later. Right now, I want to focus on the positives, and lay out the definite plan for Jason's recovery. That's why I've asked Andrea and Drew to join us."

"So, what's going to happen?" Jason asked, bringing the focus of the conversation back onto him.

"Well, today we're going to get you into a wheelchair, start you getting used to it," Andrea began.

"Then I'll be taking you for another PT session this afternoon," Drew added.

"Then we can talk long term," Dr. Langley finished, looking at Jason, and then at his parents. "Depending on how Jason does today, we'll set him up with future therapy sessions, and see if we can't work out a definite schedule that will lead up to discharge."

"What's the best case scenario, you know, for me to get back?" Jason asked, a note of optimism finding its way into his voice for the first time in weeks.

"Well, if all goes well with the PT, and the surgery and healing time for your other injuries works out, you could be out of here in under two months, plus, if you're motivated two months rehab, and you could be back home in under four months."

"That's almost half a year," Jason lamented, his face falling.

"Jason, this was a devastating injury," Dr. Langley said, looking seriously at him. "This isn't something you can bounce back immediately from, recovery takes time. That's not to mention your other injuries. Normal recovery time for injuries of this severity would be at least a year, if not longer. Only someone extremely determined could shorten that time, and only with hard work and dedication."

"I just-I didn't realize it was going to be that hard," Jason said quietly, averting his eyes. The all too familiar downcast look had crept back onto his face, taking the place of the hopeful look of moments before.

"Jason, it's not impossible," Carrie said, brushing his hair from his face tenderly. "I know you can do it, if anyone can, it's you."

"Jason, we're here for you," David added, squeezing his son's shoulder. "Anything you need, we're here."

* * *

Jason rested his hands on the wheels of his wheelchair, pausing for a moment as he took a break. Andrea was standing behind him, encouraging him as he struggled to maneuver the chair.

"You're doing great, Jason, just keep at it."

"This is ridiculous," Jason muttered, slamming his fists against the wheels. "I can't even wheel myself around in a chair."

"Jason, it's okay," Andrea reassured, resting a hand on his shoulder. "You're still overcoming weakness from being laid up in bed for so long, it's natural that you're having difficulty. It's a testament to your strength that you've even stayed sitting this long."

"I'm exhausted," Jason relented, shaking his head. "I've gone from laying in bed to sitting in a chair, and I'm exhausted. This is ridiculous."

"Give it time, Jason. These things take time, but you'll get there."

"That's all anyone says: give it time. I've given it time," Jason muttered angrily, turning the chair around to face his therapist.

"Jason, I understand you're frustrated, but you have to keep focus. This is one hurdle, one speed bump. You're going to overcome it."

"I'm not so sure," Jason replied, avoiding the eyes of his therapist. "You know what, I'm really tired, can you take me back to my room?"

Andrea nodded, taking the handles of the chair and turning Jason around, wheeling him back toward his room.

"Jason?" a girl's voice asked as they approached the room, breaking through his gloom and forcing him to look up.

"Sharpay?" he asked, his voice betraying his shock and confusion. The blonde drama queen was, sure enough, standing in the door to his room, wringing her hands and shifting her weight from foot to foot as she stood. "What-?"

"Kelsi asked me to come," Sharpay said quickly, legitimizing her reason for being there.

"I'll leave you for a little," Andrea said, leaving Jason in his room. "When you want to get back to bed, just press the call button, and one of the nurses can help you. You did well today, Jason." She left, smiling at the two teenagers. Sighing, Jason turned his chair so that he was facing Sharpay.

"Why did Kelsi ask you to come?" Jason asked, motioning for Sharpay to sit on his bed. "Why couldn't she come?"

"She had to go away for the weekend, family obligation," Sharpay said, pulling something from her pocket and holding it out to Jason. "She wanted me to give this to you."

"What is it?" Jason asked, taking the small package in his hands. Unwrapping the paper, he found a small jewelry box. Opening it, he found a necklace inside, accompanied by a note.

"She didn't say, but she wanted you to have it before she left, because she couldn't be with you this weekend."

Jason read the note to himself, smiling slightly.

_"Jason-_

_My dad is making me go to a family reunion, and I can't be with you this weekend. I know it's going to be tough, with therapy starting and all, and I want to be there for you. I know it's not possible, so I want you to have this. It's a necklace I found in a store, and it made me think of you. I know it's kinda cheesy, but I want you to wear it._

_I love you, Jason, and I'm thinking of you always._

_-Kelsi"_

Jason smiled, taking the necklace from the box and holding it up to the light. A small silver flame danced on the end of the black cord, and he immediately knew why she had thought of him. He had always had a fiery personality, despite his calm and subdued exterior. She had been one of the only people whom he had let see that, and he had never regretted that.

"Uh, Sharpay, could you help me out?" he asked, holding the necklace out to her.

"Sure," she agreed, jumping up from the bed and walking behind his chair, fastening the necklace around his neck. The two had never been close friends, and they had never really spent a lot of time together, but Sharpay suddenly felt an attachment to Jason that she couldn't explain, and impulsively hugged him.

"Uh, Sharpay?" Jason stammered, awkwardly patting her on the back.

"Take care of yourself, Jason," Sharpay said, standing up straight and gathering her things, readying herself to leave. "Kelsi loves you so much, and I hate to see her hurting. Take care of yourself."

She hugged him one more time, leaving him stunned in his chair as she left, and Jason shook his head. He wheeled himself over to the bed, reaching out to press the call button so that he could get back into bed.

As he lay there later that night, he fingered the necklace, smiling as he thought about Kelsi. That night was different from the previous one, as he drifted off to sleep easily, the moments of self-injury in the past, hopefully a one-time thing.

* * *

A/N: Yeah, right…lol…I hope you guys liked that, it was a little weird. I wanted to throw Sharpay in there just for fun. :D

Reviews greatly appreciated, as always!

Coming in Chapter 11: The return of Kelsi…another moment of weakness for Jason…and the return of Troy…


	11. Chapter 11

Disclaimer: Not mine, don't sue.

A/N: It's been a bad week, and I'm depressed that the Jets lost. Jason may need to suffer for it, and I apologize, lol…I'm sorry for not getting this out sooner, but a close family friend had both his parents die in a car accident, and it's been tough. I was going to type Saturday, but I got so sick I spent the day in bed. My mom thought it was appendicitis, that's how sick I felt. I feel a little better now, but I might not be up to my best work.

On another note, the swim season is almost over, so I will be able to get out more chapters/fics because I won't need as much sleep. Yay!

Enjoy!

* * *

Kelsi sat in her parents' car, staring wistfully through the window as she rested her head on the glass, the passing scenery blending before her eyes into a blur of green. The weekend away had been a nice diversion, but she had found that she spent most of it wishing she were with Jason. Her relatives had swarmed her, asking about college, school, careers. It was too much to handle, too much to deal with.

Sighing softly, Kelsi leaned back against the seat, trying to clear her head. Her father took his eyes from the road for a moment to look at her.

"Are you alright, Kels? What's up?"

"I'm tired," Kelsi replied evasively, her fingers unconsciously straying to the collar of her jacket, the same one Jason had given her. She smoothed the leather out of habit, turning to look at her father.

"Are you sure? You seem upset."

"I miss Jason," Kelsi relented, folding her hands in her lap to keep them occupied. "I don't like being away from him."

Mr. Nielson sighed, shaking his head.

"Kelsi, you know I don't like him. Why must you do this to me? To your mother?"

"Dad, he just found out that his life is over. I can't leave him now, you know that." She paused, taking a deep breath before continuing. "Besides, I love him, Dad. I love him."

"You don't know what love is, Kelsi," Mr. Nielson countered, keeping his eyes glued to the road ahead as he fought with his daughter.

"Maybe not, but I have an idea, Dad. And I love him."

"You can't, you're only a teenager. Kelsi, you don't want to waste your life waiting around for him."

"Dad, I'm not wasting my life. I want to wait for him, I want to be there for him."

"Kelsi-"

"Dad, can we drop the subject? We will never see eye to eye on this, and I don't feel like arguing," Kelsi cut her father off, folding her arms across her chest and resting her head against the window again. Mr. Nielson made one last attempt to talk to her, but she remained in stony silence, glaring out into the twilight.

* * *

Even as Kelsi fought with her father, Jason was struggling through the last few minutes of his physical therapy session, sweat pouring down his face as he fought against his weakness.

"Your doing good, Jason, keep it up," Drew urged, keeping a steadying hand on Jason's back as the teen struggled with the weights in his hands. Drew was working him through simple exercises to get back his upper body strength, starting with basic lifts.

"Trying," Jason managed to grind out through his teeth, clenching his eyes as he lifted the weights again. Before the accident, he had been able to bench at least two hundred, if not more, despite the fact that he appeared slim and scrawny in stature. Now, with the injuries and lethargy, he was struggling with small free weights, every motion making obvious the weaknesses in his broken arm and other bones. It had taken special permission from his doctors so that he could work with his broken arm, but he was well on his way to recovery.

"Alright, we're done for today," Drew said, placing a hand on Jason's shoulder and taking the weights from his hands. "That's good. You're making a lot of progress."

Jason sighed, taking the water bottle Drew offered him and raising it to his lips, taking a sip before answering.

"I just hate feeling so weak," he said, using his shirt sleeve to wipe his forehead. He was sitting in his wheelchair in the physical therapy room, a far cry from his hospital room, where their first sessions had taken place.

"But you're getting stronger. I know you can tell, Jason. Little by little, you're improving."

Jason looked over Drew's head for a moment, his eyes glazing over as he stared at a point on the far wall. Suddenly, he snapped back to attention, his eyes boring into his therapist's.

"What about my legs?" he asked suddenly, the question seemingly out of left field. "I mean, I know I can't feel them and all, but what about the breaks and stuff? Am I going to be able to strengthen them? Like, if I ever get better, and I can walk again, will I be able to fix my legs?"

Drew sighed, forming his response in his mind before opening his mouth. From what Jason's team of doctors had told him, the injuries to Jason's legs were complicated and tricky, and even if he had had feeling in his legs, they were hesitant to say that he'd be able to work through the injuries.

"Jason, you messed up your legs pretty bad. You know that. I'm not sure that the doctors will want you to risk anything, at least not until they're certain the breaks are healed." Catching Jason's deflated expression, he quickly tried to rectify the situation. "It's not the end of the world, Jason. You weren't going to be using them anytime soon anyway, so let's focus on what you can do, and later we'll talk about what you can't."

"But I can't do anything," Jason muttered, his hand unconsciously sliding to his shirt sleeve and tugging it lower, as if the mere mention of his self-loathing made him feel incredibly guilty about what he had done.

"Jason, I know how you feel. Trust me, I do. But, as I'm sure you're well aware of, you're lucky to be this far. You're making strides, Jason, and you're healing faster than most of us thought possible. You're a determined young man, and that determination is what's helping you through this. Don't give up. There's a light at the end of the tunnel, it's just a little far away right now."

While he spoke to Jason, Drew busied himself with gathering the teen's things, readying him to return to his room. When that was completed, he helped Jason wheel himself into the hall, heading for the elevator.

"It's the same thing everyday," Jason broke in when Drew had finished, reaching out to punch the button for the correct floor as the elevator doors closed behind them. "That's all anyone tells me-I'm getting better, I'm lucky to be here. I'm sick of it, and I want to get out. I want to go home, to be with my friends again. I want to play basketball again, and I want to be able to dance with my girlfriend. I want everything to be the way it was."

"You know that can't happen, Jason, and it's wishful thinking," Drew said gently as they reached the floor and got off the elevator, Drew pushing the wheelchair in the direction of Jason's room. "It's the thoughts like that that are going to hamper your recovery."

They reached the right room, and Jason was surprised to find his second visitor in two days waiting for him when they arrived. Troy was leaning casually against the doorframe, his appearance suggesting he had been waiting for several minutes. He turned his head at the sound of Drew's footsteps, and he broke into a small smile at the sight of his friend.

"Jason," he greeted, walking up to greet the other teen. Jason returned the greeting, half-heartedly bumping fists with Troy as Drew continued to lead him into the room.

"What are you doing here, Troy?" Jason asked, unable to keep the slight note of contempt from his voice. He avoided Troy's eyes as Drew helped him lift himself into the bed, and as he settled back against his pillows.

"I'll see you tomorrow, Jason. Get some rest, and be ready to step it up," Drew said, nodding at Troy and shaking Jason's hand before making a quick exit.

"I wanted to apologize again, Jason. I hate the way we are, the way our friendship is. I've spent the last few weeks thinking about some things."

"Like what?" Jason asked, his face softening slightly as he noted the sincerity in Troy's voice and stature.

"I-I've been stupid, Jason. A lot of this is my fault. I mean, I've always heard about the consequences of drinking, but it feels so good. I shouldn't have been having those parties, and I should've paid more attention to the people there." He trailed off, jamming his hands into his pockets and looking at a spot on the floor a few inches from his feet. "I guess what I'm trying to say is, the accident made me look at things a little differently. I don't want to drink anymore. I don't want to end up like Higgins, or like-" He trailed off, looking up at Jason, what he meant to say clear in his eyes.

Jason took a deep breath, absorbing everything Troy was saying.

"You mean you'll lay off it?" he asked, his voice betraying his doubt. Troy, though, nodded vigorously, stepping a little closer to the bed.

"I'm off it for good. Or, at least until my twenty-first birthday," he added as an afterthought, eliciting a small smile from Jason. "But, seriously, I am. It's taken something of this magnitude to make me realize the path I was on, and I didn't like where I was headed. It sucks for you, Jason, and I know me telling you this isn't making it better. But I'd trade places with you, Jason, if only to give you a second chance. God didn't play fair, and it should be me where you are. I'm the one who made the mistakes."

"I've made mistakes, too," Jason said weakly, taken aback at Troy's admission. He wouldn't put his worst enemy through the situation he was currently experiencing, and he certainly didn't wish it on his closest friend. "But that's not it, Troy. What's done is done, and I wouldn't wish this on anyone, even if they deserved it. You're a good friend, and you can't beat yourself up. You weren't driving the car, Troy, and as much as I want to blame as many people as I can, I've realized that's not fair. Yeah, you've made mistakes, but who hasn't? At least you've got a second chance to fix them."

"Jason, I-"

"Don't say anything, Troy. It's done, okay? We can put this behind us, and one day we'll look back on it and laugh. Don't bring it up."

"I don't know what to say."

"It's fine, Troy. I'm just glad you came to see me again. It means a lot."

"Yeah, well I figured you'd be going crazy with Kelsi away for the weekend."

"You have no idea," Jason shook his head, smiling knowingly at his friend.

* * *

An hour and a half later, Troy was gone, as were Jason's parents and siblings, who had come for another visit as Troy was leaving. Jason was left alone again for a few moments before his mom returned to stay with him through the night, as had become her custom. He was left alone with his thoughts and emotions.

Sighing softly to himself, Jason leaned back against his pillows, replaying his conversation with Troy over and over in his head. He had meant what he said, and he was sure Troy had as well. It comforted him to know he had his friends behind him, despite the differences or problems they may have experienced.

Thinking of Troy made Jason think of Kelsi, and he immediately wished she were back from her vacation. His fingers absently sliding to the chain around his neck, he held it in his hands for a moment, remembering the incident of several nights before. The sudden urge to feel that same pain, that same euphoria he had felt then overcame him, and drove him to reach to his bedside.

As he let go of the necklace, Jason's fingers closed around that same razor blade, and he sat as he had that night, twirling it in his fingers. He wondered what Kelsi would think, what his parents and brother would think if they knew. The rational part of his brain was screaming at him to stop, but he felt drawn. Staring at his skin in fascination, he drew the blade across the surface, just above the cuts he had already made.

He wasn't depressed at the moment, and he wasn't upset. Some part of him realized he had gotten hooked, that he had set himself up to fall into an addiction. That part was quieted by the overwhelming sense of calm, of release, of pleasure that overcame his senses. He didn't care about the consequences or the results. He cared about what was happening now, and how it affected him now.

His final thought before slipping into sleep, after he had wiped the blade and the cuts clean, was that he was letting his family and friends down.

* * *

A/N: That was weird, and definitely not my best work, but I really wanted to get it out so it wasn't hanging over my head any more. I hope the next chapter is better.

Reviews greatly appreciated, as always!

Coming in Chapter 12: Jason is addicted…can Kelsi see through his lies?...more Troy and Chad!!

Special A/N: I have been getting loads of requests for my upcoming story, "Who I am Hates Who I've Been." It seems that a lot of people want me to post that one ASAP, and are looking forward to it. I'm happy to report that it is in the final stages of planning!! I have a little more research to do, and a few more touches to the outline, and then I will post it. Thanks for taking an interest!


	12. Chapter 12

Disclaimer: Not mine, don't sue. Belongs to Disney.

A/N: I'm glad you all picked up on the Troy/Jason connection. That's going to come into play later on, but that's all I'll say for now. (And no, it won't turn into Troy/Jason slash…)

Timeline Note: This takes place a week after the last chapter, approximately (I can't remember the exact timeline) 3-4 weeks after the accident.

* * *

Jason picked his head up as the door to his room opened, revealing Kelsi, a large stuffed bear in her arms and a Get-Well Soon balloon floating from her wrist. 

"Kels, what the hell is that?" Jason asked, eyeing the bear suspiciously as she walked over to the bed, smiling broadly. She set the bear on the foot of his bed, and perched herself next to him, leaning in to kiss him on the cheek.

"I love you, Jason," she whispered, smiling at him.

"Kels, what's going on?"

"Don't you like him?" Kelsi asked, faking hurt as she batted her eyelashes at Jason.

"Kels, what the hell is going on? Why are you acting so weird?"

"I wanted to make you feel better," Kelsi said, looking slightly put off. "I wanted you to be happy before you went in for your surgery."

"Kels, I don't need a teddy bear to make me happy," Jason said, smiling in spite of himself. "You're all I need."

Kelsi swatted at his chest playfully, smiling broadly. In a moment, though, her face darkened as she became serious.

"Jason, I really came to tell you good luck, and to tell you that I love you. I'm worried," she told him, taking his hand in hers and kissing it.

"Kels, there's nothing to worry about. You were here when Dr. Cohen went over everything, you know what's going to happen," Jason comforted her. She had in fact been there when his orthopedic surgeon had gone over the procedures they were going to use to reset the remaining breaks in his legs. She had sat with him and his parents as the doctor explained everything in detail.

"I know, Jase, but-I'm still worried."

"Kels, there really is no need. I'm gonna be fine. It's a complicated procedure, yeah, but Dr. Cohen is one of the best. It's gonna be fine."

A knock at the door interrupted Kelsi's response, and Nick, David, and Carrie walked in.

"Hey, guys," Jason said, smiling at his family.

"Hey," Nick greeted his little brother, bumping fists with him before kissing Kelsi on the cheek. "Hey, Kelsi."

"Hey," she replied, smiling at Jason's family. She unconsciously tightened her grip on his hand as Jason's parents each greeted him in turn.

"Are you ready?" Carrie asked, her voice betraying her anxiety. Despite all of Jason's assurances that everything would be fine, it was clear that his family and friends were having trouble believing it.

"Mom, I'll be fine," Jason assured her, kissing her on the cheek. "Will you all stop it, already?"

"We're worried, Jason," David said, his voice raised slightly. "We love you, and we're worried."

"I can assure you, there's nothing to be worried about," a new voice said at the door, interrupting the conversation. A tall, thin woman dressed in surgical scrubs under a short white coat, a mask hanging from her neck. "We've gone over the procedure, and I can promise you that I will do my best to keep Jason safe."

She walked over to the bed, picking up Jason's chart as she went. She stood next to the bed, flipping through the pages before addressing Jason directly.

"You understand everything we went over yesterday, yes?" she asked, looking directly into Jason's eyes. He nodded. "Excellent. Now, I take it you haven't eaten since midnight, yes?" Another nod. "Perfect. I've left orders for your pre-op meds to be given to you right before you come down, around eleven. After that you'll be brought down to pre-op, where the anesthesiologist will administer the anesthetic agents. As soon as your prepped, we'll start. Surgeries of this nature usually take anywhere from four to eight hours, and you'll be under the whole time. After that we'll bring you to recovery, and we'll take it from there."

Jason nodded again, and Dr. Cohen smiled, turning to his parents.

"You're welcome to wait in the OR waiting room, but I can't guarantee that you won't be there awhile. Unfortunately, we can only allow one of you to accompany Jason into pre-op."

"I'm going," Carrie said firmly, her voice warning Jason that he couldn't argue.

"That's fine," Kelsi said, tightening her grip on Jason's hand to warn him that she was okay with that. "I'll see you after the surgery, Jase. It'll be fine."

"If you don't have anymore questions, I need to get down to the OR. I'll see you in a couple hours, Jason," she said, shaking hands with Carrie and David before leaving the room.

* * *

Twelve hours later, Kelsi was sitting by Jason's side, his hand tightly grasped in hers as she tried to coax him out from the anesthesia. His parents were sitting on his other side, Carrie gripping his other hand as David sat off to the side, flipping through a newspaper. Nick had gone to pick up coffee for the four. 

A soft moan escaped Jason's lips, alerting the other three that he was waking up.

"Jason?" Kelsi whispered, sitting up straighter. "Jason, sweetie, can you hear me?"

"Kelsi?" Jason moaned, opening his eyes slightly and looking at her, then at his mom. "Mom?"

"Jason," Carrie whispered, kissing his forehead. "How do you feel?"

"Not so good," Jason whispered, squinting against the lights. "What-?"

"The surgery is over," Carrie told him, resting a hand against his forehead. "It went well, Dr. Cohen was able to repair the rest of the damage." She kept her hand in place for several moments, frowning slightly.

"Carrie?" David asked, leaning forward.

"He's very warm," Carrie said, her frown deepening. "I think he might have a fever."

"I'm going to get the doctor," David said, standing and folding his newspaper. He squeezed Jason's knee, waking away from the bed and toward the desk in the recovery area.

"I don't feel good," Jason repeated, moaning slightly, trying to shy away from the light. "Head hurts."

"Jason?" Kelsi asked quietly, worry creasing her face as she looked at him.

"The nurse is on his way, he paged Dr. Cohen," David informed them, walking back to the bed. Moments later, a short, well-built man dressed in scrubs, a stethoscope around his neck walked over, flipping through Jason's chart as he walked.

"What seems to be the problem?" the nurse, whose nametag read "Anthony," asked, taking a thermometer from his shirt pocket and sticking it unceremoniously into Jason's ear, waiting for several moments.

"He says he doesn't feel good," Carrie said, watching the nurse intently.

"That's normal with general anesthesia," Anthony assured her, watching the digital readout of the thermometer as the numbers slowly increased.

"I think he has a fever," Carrie said, shaking her head.

The thermometer beeped, and Anthony took it from Jason's ear, frowning as he read the display.

"It appears you're right. 102," he said, scribbling a note onto Jason's chart. "Dr. Cohen should be here shortly, we'll discuss this with her."

"What could it mean?" Kelsi asked, worry creeping into her voice.

"It probably means infection. We'll see what tests Dr. Cohen wants to run, though, to confirm."

"Infection? But that's bad, isn't it?"

Anthony's reply was cut off by the arrival of Dr. Cohen.

"What's going on?" she asked curtly, addressing Anthony.

"He's running a fever of 102. Other than that, vitals are relatively stable. Pulse has been jumping around a a bit, but other than that he's been okay."

"How long has it been since he was brought to recovery?"

"About an hour and a half."

Dr. Cohen shook her head, taking her stethoscope from her neck and putting it in her ears as she placed it to Jason's chest.

"His breathing's slightly labored," she said out loud, straightening up and replacing the instrument, scribbling a note on the chart. She moved to the foot of the bed and proceeded to check Jason's legs.

"The incisions looks okay, nothing indicative of an infection," she stated, a slight note of confusion in her voice.

"What do you want to do?" Anthony asked, standing ready to carry out her orders.

"Let's get a CBC to start, see if we can pick anything up from his white count. We'll go from there. For now I want to start him on broad spectrum antibiotics, just in case. It can't hurt to be careful."

"Alright, I'll get on that," Anthony agreed, walking to the drug lockup and returning moments later, a syringe and a vial in his hand. Drawing the drug into the syringe, he injected it into Jason's IV line, Dr. Cohen watching the whole time.

"I want to be updated on what's happening, and I want him moved to the SICU so we can keep a closer eye on him."

"Will do," Anthony agreed, nodding as Dr. Cohen scribbled her notes on the chart and shook hands with Jason's parents.

"What's going on?" Carrie asked, looking anxiously into the doctor's eyes.

"I'm not sure, and I'm a little worried. The best case scenario would be a minor infection, which we've hopefully caught in time."

"And the worst?"

"I can't make any assumptions. Let's get the results of the CBC and go from there."

* * *

Several hours later, Kelsi sat by Jason's bedside, clutching his hand and whispering softly to him. His fever hadn't gone down at all, but Dr. Cohen had assured them that they had found the infection and were treating it with a heavy course of antibiotics. She had assured them that he would show improvement in a few hours, that they just needed to give the meds time to work/ 

Sighing, Kelsi sat back in her chair, running a hand through her hair. As she leaned back, her eyes caught something on Jason's arm. Perplexed, she leaned forward again, gently pushing up Jason's sleeve. A gasp escaped her lips and her hand flew to her mouth.

"Oh, God," she whispered, dropping Jason's hand from her grasp as she looked at his arm. Four nearly identical cuts crossed his upper arm, obviously deliberate. A thousand thoughts ran through her mind as she looked at them, a thousand different explanations.

As she sat there in shock, she was startled to feel Jason's fingers around her wrist. She shifted her gaze to his face, and she was surprised to see him returning her gaze.

"Jason," she acknowledged, her voice barely audible.

"What time is it?" Jason asked, his voice weak and raspy.

"Seven," Kelsi replied, not taking her eyes from Jason's face. "You've been unconscious for awhile. Dr. Cohen found an infection, and they've been treating your fever."

"Tired," Jason whispered, the effort that waking up had taken clearly taking its toll on him.

"Jason, I don't know how to ask this," Kelsi began, deciding to cut right to the chase. "I-I saw your arm, Jason."

"Kelsi-"

"Jason, have you been cutting?"

There was an awkward pause as Jason looked away from Kelsi, unable to meet her gaze. She took his hand in hers again, and rested her hand along his cheek, forcing him to look at her.

"Jason?"

"Kelsi, I did it once, okay? It was awhile ago, I was upset. It hasn't happened since." The effort that it cost him forced him to ask Kelsi for water, his eyes slipping closed as he fought against his fatigue. Kelsi handed him a cup of water, clearly not believing what he was saying.

"Jason, you didn't do it once. I can tell, okay? I want to know. Why are you hurting yourself?"

"I'm not," Jason asserted, looking into her eyes, willing her to accept his answer. "I swear to God, Kelsi, it's never going to happen again."

"Jason-"

"Kels, I promise."

Kelsi sighed, wanting desperately to believe him but finding herself dubious.

"Jason, I-" she trailed off, looking deeply into his eyes. He looked so weak, so helpless lying there, his eyes bright with fever and a general sense of fatigue enveloping him. She wanted to believe him, she wanted to be able to trust him. Taking a deep breath, she resumed her sentence.

"I believe you," she whispered, kissing his hand. "I believe you, Jason."

* * *

A/N: Well, I wanted Troy and Chad in this chapter, but it kinda ran away from me. I hadn't planned on the infection thing, but I randomly thought of it and had to throw it in. It seemed like a good way for Kelsi to find out about Jason's cutting. 

Reviews greatly appreciated, as always!

Coming in Chapter 13: Troy and Chad for real…Jason defaults on his promise to Kelsi…


	13. Chapter 13

Disclaimer: Not mine, don't sue. Belongs to Disney.

A/N: Sorry for the backup in chapters. I had to study for exams, and then my best friend and I went down to Washington DC to look at Catholic University. I haven't had a lot of time to type, as I was busy with baby-sitting, doing homework, and other stuff. Once again, I am sorry.

On another note, I don't know who is aware of this, but I have been nominated in three categories in the HSM Fanfiction Awards Take 2. This and my one shot, "What You Do to Me" are nominated for Best Jelsi, "Keep the Faith" for Best Drama, Angst, or Tragedy, and "A Time for Hope" for Best Ryella. If you guys like my stuff, go and vote. Also, check out the other nominees and consider them as well!

Enjoy!

* * *

Jason moaned softly as his eyes fluttered open, a splitting headache making itself known to him. Turning his head slightly, he saw Kelsi slumped in the chair next to the bed, gripping his hand but sound asleep.

"Kelsi?" Jason whispered, surprised that his voice was as rough and raspy as it was. He tightened his fingers around her hand, startling her awake.

"What?" Kelsi asked, straightening up and looking around wildly. "What's going on?"

"Kelsi," Jason repeated, squeezing her hand to draw her attention to him.

"Jason?" Kelsi asked, finally looking to him. "Oh, Jason, thank God you're awake," she sighed, sinking back down in her chair and kissing his hand happily.

"Kels? What's going on?"

"You've been unconscious for a day," Kelsi told him, reaching forward to brush his hair from his face. She kissed his forehead tenderly, relief evident in her face. "You had an infection, Dr. Cohen found it and treated it. You've had a fever since you came out of surgery."

"I remember," Jason whispered, nodding slightly. "Mom was there. And you were. I remember."

Kelsi nodded. "We were worried that you weren't going to come out of it," she confided, a shadow of fear crossing her face.

"I'm okay," Jason whispered, reaching up to brush her cheek. "It's okay."

"I know, Jason," Kelsi nodded, smiling reassuringly at him. "I know, and I'm so happy."

"What about my rehab?" Jason asked, looking at Kelsi expectantly.

"Dr. Cohen's talking to your parents outside, they're going to be finished soon."

Almost on cue, the door to the room opened, and Dr. Cohen was preceded by Jason's parents.

"You're awake!" Carrie cried, rushing forward to wrap her arms around Jason. "Oh, baby, we were so worried."

"Hey, mom," Jason replied awkwardly, patting his mother's shoulders. "Dad."

"I'm so glad you're okay," Carrie continued, sitting opposite Kelsi and taking Jason's free hand.

"Well, now that you're awake, Jason, I want to discuss what happens next in your recovery. The infection complicates things, but it should only set us back a week."

"What does that mean?" David asked, crossing his arms and looking intently at the doctor.

"It means that, while we thought Jason would be moving to a rehab facility within the next two weeks, we'll probably move him in three weeks. Because Jason's physical therapy has to be suspended for a few days, we may need to adjust the regimen so that it gives him a better chance to heal completely. We'll need to add some exercises to rehab his legs, but I'm going to work with Drew on that, and we'll get back to you."

"So I'm stuck here another three weeks?" Jason repeated, his voice betraying his annoyance.

"Jason, it's better than the alternative," David chided, looking back at his son. "At least you're here."

"So I've been told," Jason muttered under his breath, looking away from his family.

"Jason, don't take an attitude with me," David commanded, his voice rising as he argued with his son.

"Dad, leave me alone, okay? Just leave me the hell alone."

Dr. Cohen broke in, trying to alleviate the tension.

"I'm going to leave you here to discuss this, I'll be back to check on Jason later," she said quickly, hastening to leave the room.

"David, Jason," Carrie admonished, looking incredulously at her husband and son. "Knock it off."

"I can't do this anymore," Jason replied, crossing his arms and glaring at his father.

"Do what, Jason? What can't you do? You almost died, twice in the last three months, so forgive me if I'm happy you're here talking to us."

"Dad, don't give me that crap. You have another family, so why are you here?"

"Jason!" Carrie and Kelsi cried simultaneously, shock evident in both voices.

"It's okay," David reassured them, holding up a hand. "He's upset, and he doesn't know what he's saying."

"Keep believing that," Jason muttered, staring down his father.

"You know what, I'm going to go home, see Lisa and the kids, and come back. Maybe it'll give you some time to cool off."

"David-"

"It's fine, Carrie. I'll be back in a few hours."

David smiled at Kelsi before gathering his things and walking out of the room. As soon as he was gone, Carrie turned to Jason, her face betraying her anger.

"Jason, you cannot speak to your father like that. I understand you're upset, and hurting, but-"

"Mom, drop it, okay? You know it's true, but let's not blame this on me."

"Jason-"

"Mom, I'm done," Jason cut in, looking away toward the window, effectively ending the conversation.

* * *

Later that afternoon, Jason was alone in his room, Kelsi and his mother having gone to lunch. He was staring unseeingly out the window, his eyes glazed over as he thought about his fight with his dad.

The two hadn't ever had the greatest relationship-that had been Nick's forte. Jason had always been closer to his mother, and when they had divorced, he had blamed it completely on David. It was unfair, but to Jason, he only saw his father's flaws. The sentiments he had expressed had been bottled inside him for several years, but it took a near-death experience and a life-altering injury to make him state them.

Deep in his heart, he knew that he hadn't really meant what he had said. It was the pain and exhaustion speaking for him, but he couldn't take back what he had done. The mere thought of seeing his father again made his head hurt, his pulse quicken. He was afraid to face the consequences, afraid of what was going to happen.

As he sat, Jason felt a sudden urge to cut. It was unexplainable, but he found himself unconsciously reaching toward the night table, all promises to Kelsi filed in the back of his mind, forgotten. His fingers closed around the blade, and he brought it before his face, twirling it slowly.

Just as he started to drag the blade across his skin, the doorknob turned, the door being pushed open as voices made themselves present to him. Panicking, Jason shoved the razor under his pillow, straightening himself up and trying to look normal. Seconds later, Troy and Chad walked into the room, piles of cards and flowers in their arms.

"Hey," Jason greeted quickly, aware that his voice sounded forced. He took a deep breath, calming himself before continuing. "What's all this?"

"Cards, flowers, all kinds of crap," Chad said, putting his pile on the windowsill and walking to the bed to shake Jason's hand.

"It's from the team, the school, whoever," Troy added, following Chad. Jason nodded at Troy, showing that their previous conversation was not forgotten.

"So," Chad said, sitting in the chair occupied by Carrie hours before. "How're you holding up?"

"I'm alright," Jason said truthfully, nodding slightly.

"No, really," Troy prompted, taking Kelsi's chair. "We heard you had your surgery, how'd it go?"

"Not so great," Jason ceded, looking down to avoid his friends' eyes.

"What happened? They couldn't fix it?" Chad asked, genuine concern evident in his voice.

"No, they did. I just ended up with an infection," Jason corrected, shaking his head. "I was out of it for the last two days."

"What? Why didn't anyone call us?"

"Kelsi and my parents were here the whole time."

"Oh," Troy nodded, understanding dawning on his face. He paused, wringing his hands slightly before addressing Jason again. "So, when are you getting out?"

"Three weeks. I need to get my strength back up, and then I'm going to rehab."

"What about school? Basketball? Your grades?"

"I'll probably have to repeat the year," Jason said quietly, the raw fact staring him in the face.

"What?" Chad cried out, indignant. "They can't make you do that! We're graduating at the end of the year."

"I'm not," Jason corrected, shaking his head. "I've missed too much, I'm too far behind. They're not even sure I'll be able to go to college for the fall semester."

"That's messed up," Chad shook his head, feeling for his friend. "They can't be allowed to do that."

"I can't go to college if I haven't learned enough. I'd fail."

"I'm sorry," Troy said sincerely, shaking her head.

"Me too," Jason whispered, looking sadly from one friend to another. "Me too."

* * *

Several hours later, after Troy and Chad had spent two hours talking and filling Jason in on what was happening at school, Jason was alone again. He estimated that he had at least half an hour before his dad was to return, and Kelsi and his mother had called to say they were going shopping.

"Women," Jason muttered, shaking his head. The stark loneliness of the room suddenly felt oppressive, and Jason slid his hand under his pillow, his fingers closing around the razor.

He brought the blade to his arm, dragging it slowly across his skin. The immediate relief, the immediate sense of pleasure overwhelmed the rational voice in his head, pushed his promise to Kelsi into the back of his mind.

Ignoring his misgivings, Jason drew the blade across a second time, and a third. So addicted to the feeling, he pulled up the sleeve of his other shirt, sliding the blade across the clean, untarnished skin there. A thin red line identical to the others appeared, and Jason sighed in contentment.

Wiping the blade with a tissue, he replaced it, covering his arms again and making sure he his all evidence. He knew that it had been an oversight on Kelsi's part to leave the razor there, as she had kept the secret from his parents at his request. They were the only two who knew, and Jason desperately wanted to keep it that way. Sighing, he rested his head against his pillow, closing his eyes and drifting to sleep.

* * *

A/N: Silly Jason…lying to Kelsi, fighting with your daddy…not good…lol, I really need some sleep…

So, that was a lousy chapter. I didn't really like it, but I guess it's okay.

Reviews greatly appreciated, as always!

Coming in Chapter 14: Jason is moved to a rehab facility…and continues cutting…Andrew Higgins is brought to court for his preliminary hearing…


	14. Chapter 14

Disclaimer: Not mine, don't sue. Belongs to Disney. I also have no idea how courts/trials work, so this may be completely wrong, but deal with it, okay?

A/N: So this isn't new. This is the old version of fourteen. But being that I worked my butt off re-doing the first three chapters, and am still working on the rest, and no one would even be aware of this until I posted chapter fifteen, I deleted and re-posted fourteen. Pretty lame, I know. But I want people to at least take a second look and decide for themselves.

I'm trying to give new life to this story. LOL

Enjoy!

"You ready, Jason?" Kelsi asked, dropping her bag on the chair by the door and crossing over to Jason's bed. He was sitting up, propped against his pillows, dressed in sweats and, as it seemed, ready to get out. "Today's the day, huh?"

"Yeah," Jason said, looking up at Kelsi and smiling.

"When're you leaving?"

"The van's coming in about an hour, but the doc said they'd discharge me sooner. I gotta get my stuff ready, get my wheelchair."

"Jason?" A knock at the door alerted the two that Jason's nurse was entering the room.

"Hey, Kristy," Jason smiled, addressing the petite brunette. Out of all the nurses on the floor, Kristy was by far his favorite. She was barely twenty-three, and Jason felt he was best able to relate to her.

"How's my favorite boy toy?" Kristy asked, snapping on a pair of gloves as she examined the entry site of Jason's IV. Jason blushed, while Kelsi looked at him, mouthing the words "boy toy" with an incredulous look.

"You're awfully quiet today, Jase, what's up?" Kristy asked, smiling broadly at her patient and winking conspiratorially at Kelsi.

"Uh, Kristy, I don't know if-this is Kelsi, my girlfriend," Jason said awkwardly, gesturing to Kelsi. Kristy laughed.

"Jason, you know I'm kidding," she smiled, punching him lightly on the shoulder. "It's going to be quiet around here without you."

"I can't say I'm gonna miss it," Jason quipped, the color slowly returning to his face. "I can't wait to get home, and this is the first step." He smiled, taking Kelsi's hand as he watched Kristy gather supplies on a small tray.

"We're all so proud of the progress you've made," Kristy said, pulling the tray over to the bed. "I have to say, when you first came in here, most of us thought you'd never come out of it." She trailed off, mentally remembering Jason's first nights in the hospital. She shook her head, smiling at him. "Now you're off to rehab, and bigger and better things." She pretended to wipe away tears, eliciting laughter from both Jason and Kelsi.

Still smiling, Kristy got down to business. "I'm just going to check over your vitals, make sure you're set," she told Jason, pulling a stethoscope from the pocket of her scrub coat and setting the bowl against Jason's chest. She paused for several moments, listening to his breathing before straightening up. Putting her stethoscope away, she placed two fingers to Jason's wrist, measuring his pulse.

"Everything looks good," she confirmed after checking the monitor at Jason's head. "Let's start getting these wires off." She switched off the monitor, carefully unwinding the wires and removing the EKG leads attached to Jason's chest. Next she unhooked the oxygen tubing, tossing the used equipment into the trash. Removing the pulse oximeter clip from his finger, she set it aside, getting ready to remove the IV line.

"This is probably going to hurt," she warned, peeling off the tape holding the needle down and taking hold of the actual needle. Jason nodded, looking away as Kristy counted to three. In a few seconds, the needle was in the trash, and Kristy was fixing a band-aid over the bleeding puncture.

"There," she said, peeling off her gloves and tossing them into the trash. "You're ready to go. I'll go get Dr. Cohen and Dr. Langley and we'll see about getting you out of here."

"Thanks," Jason said, smiling at Kristy. "Thanks for everything."

"Just doing my job," Kristy replied, comfortingly patting Jason's shoulder on her way out of the room. "Take care of yourself, Jason." She turned to Kelsi, lowering her voice slightly. "Make sure he takes care of himself, okay? He's a great guy, you should try and hold on to him."

"I will," Kelsi agreed, shaking Kristy's hand. "Thank you for taking care of him."

"It's not a problem." Kristy shook her head. "I'm only doing my job."

* * *

Three hours later, Jason was set up in his new surroundings, in a small, plain room at the rehab center which he was sharing with a young man only a few years older than Jason. Kelsi had run home to get things to brighten Jason's side of the room, and had promised to be back in a few hours. His parents and Nick had seen him in, but had had to return home to see a contractor about installing wheelchair ramps and making their house more accessible to Jason.

"So, what happened to you?" his roommate, Michael, asked, rolling his wheelchair closer to Jason's, watching the younger man intently.

"Car accident," Jason replied, eyeing Michael's legs, trying to figure out what had happened. "What about you?"

"Motorcycle," Michael confided, looking down at his legs. "Guy hit me from the side, spun into the barrier. Docs said I was lucky to be alive."

"Me too," Jason said, a new appreciation for his roommate dawning on him. The two were so similar, it seemed almost coincidental. "They told me the car was totaled, a complete wreck. The guy who hit me was drunk, smashed my car into another. My legs were caught under the dashboard, and the hit severed my spinal cord. I don't remember any of it, it's all what they told me later." He shuddered, picturing in his mind's eye how horrible he must have looked. He shook his head, taking a deep breath before changing his course. "How long have you been here?"

"Two months. They hoped it would be shorter, but I had a few setbacks." Michael sighed, trailing off. Getting back to his senses, he addressed Jason again. "The staff here is great, though. You'll meet the therapists tomorrow, but they're the best. They really push you, make sure you get back on your feet." He laughed, realizing the humor in what he had said.

"Figuratively," Jason commented, smiling in spite of himself.

"Yeah," Michael smiled, glad that he and Jason were becoming fast friends. A sudden knock at the door interrupted their conversation.

"Jason?"

"Nick? What's going on? I thought you guys were at home," Jason said, turning to find his older brother standing in the doorway, a frown on his face.

"We were, but we just got a phone call from the prosecutor's office."

Jason's smile died on his face, and he unconsciously tightened his grip on the arms of his wheelchair.

"And?"

"Andrew Higgins' hearing is tomorrow. He's submitting a not-guilty plea."

"What?" Jason asked, his voice betraying his incredulity. "Not guilty? He was drunk, how the hell does he think he's gonna get away with this?"

"Jason, that's why I'm here. His dad hired a lawyer, a good lawyer. They're going to try to prove that the accident was your fault."

Jason stared at Nick, his mouth slightly open as he fought for words. He was unaware that Michael had retreated to the corner of the room, avoiding the confrontation unfolding between the siblings.

"Jason, Dad's getting a lawyer, we're going to fight this. He can't do this to us, not after what's happened."

"How can he do that?" Jason asked, at a loss for words. "How can he blame this on me? I'm the one in a freaking wheelchair, I'm the one in pain."

"Jason, he's not going to get away with this. Trust me, I'm not going to let him. But I need to talk to you. You need to be ready, they're going to want to ask you questions, put you on the stand. They want you at the hearing tomorrow."

"Tomorrow? Nick, I-"

"We cleared it with your docs already, Dad and I are picking you up tomorrow at eight, we're meeting with the lawyer." Nick paused, comfortingly squeezing Jason's shoulder. "It's going to be okay."

* * *

Jason sat in his wheelchair, well aware that his hands were slippery with sweat as he waited for the lawyer to come in. His dad was on his left, Nick on his right, as they sat just inside the courthouse doors, several hours before the actual hearing was set to begin.

"I'm sorry I'm late, traffic was horrible," a voice said just down the hall, alerting the three men. They looked up to see a well-dressed man in his early forties striding toward them, holding one hand out to shake theirs, his other holding his briefcase.

"Joe Connor," he said, shaking each man's hand in turn. "And I take it you're Jason?"

Jason nodded, nervously shaking the attorney's hand.

"Alright, let's get down to business. I take it you've been informed of the defense's intentions, yes?"

"That's why we hired you," David said, eyeing the other man critically. "We need you to make sure this doesn't fall on Jason."

"Well, I've looked over the details of the case, and it seems pretty straightforward. The defendant's blood-alcohol level was well above the normal limit, I don't see how they can pin this on anyone else."

"Then why are we here?" Jason asked, his voice shaking as he clearly fought to suppress his nerves.

"Honestly, no matter how open and shut the case seems, there are always loopholes and technicalities," Joe relented, looking Jason directly in the eye. "I need you to answer a few questions for me, and I need you to answer them completely truthfully. It's the only way we can combat the defense's case, so I need to make sure you're being completely honest."

"I promise," Jason nodded, returning Joe's gaze. "I want that son of a bitch locked up for what he did to me."

"First tip, lay off the name-calling," Joe warned, frowning slightly. "Don't give the defense something to play on. Now, the night of the accident-what do you remember?"

Jason bit his lip, thinking hard. After several moments, he looked at Joe, his face slightly pale as he recounted his memories.

"I was at a party at my friend's house. Troy's house. There was drinking, but I didn't drink."

"Are you sure? You didn't have a single drink all night?"

"Just Coke," Jason confirmed, nodding. "My girlfriend, Kelsi, got drunk, and I had to drive her home. But I'm sure I didn't touch any alcohol."

"What happened then? After you took Kelsi home?"

"I was on my way home. The light at the intersection was green, but I remember making sure it was before I kept going."

"What then? Is that when he hit you?"

Jason nodded. "He had a red light. I know, because he was coming at me from the left. I didn't even see him until he was right there, because his headlights were off."

"That's good, it proves he was driving recklessly," Joe said, nodding as he scribbled a few notes on a yellow legal pad. "What then? Do you remember what happened next?"

"I remember spinning, and then hitting something else. Everything after that is black until I woke up in the hospital."

"That's fine, I've got everything I need. Now, today is strictly a plea hearing. The judge is going to ask for his plea, and he's going to submit it. After that we'll get a trial date and proceed from there. It is imperative that you refrain from talking to the defendant, though, and avoid his lawyers as much as possible. They're going to try and intimidate you, make you scared. Just ignore it, and you'll be fine, Jason."

"I can't do this," Jason whispered, putting his face in his hands. "I can't do this."

"You're going to be fine," Nick soothed, rubbing Jason's back gently as he ruffled his younger brother's hair. "You've gotten this far, Jase, this is just one more step. Once this is over, you'll have closure, you can finish healing."

"He's right, Jason," Joe said, smiling compassionately at his client. "Once this is finished, you'll be free to live your life."

* * *

Andrew Higgins stood next to his lawyer, both facing the judge. The intimidating woman was watching him intently, her glasses pulled low on her nose as she perused the case file that had been given her.

"Mr. Nichols, how does your client plead?" she asked, finally looking up as she addressed Andrew's attorney. The disdain in her voice was clearly evident, and she appeared to shoot a disapproving glance at Andrew as she looked to his lawyer.

"Not guilty," the attorney said clearly, staring back at the judge. She nodded, scribbling in the file.

"Trial is set for February 9, 2007, at nine in the morning. Jury selection will begin February 7. This court is in recess until then." She lifted her gavel and struck the wooden circle on her bench authoritatively, standing up and making to leave. The bailiff stood, calling for everyone to rise. After the judge had left, Andrew and his attorney gathered their things, making to leave the courtroom.

As Andrew walked past the people gathered in the courtroom, he was unable to avoid the stares. Whispers followed him, and he felt his face turning red at the thought of what they were saying.

"Don't pay attention," his attorney, Jack Nichols, said, taking Andrew by the arm and leading him from the room. "Just focus on this case, and what we talked about."

"I don't think I can do this," Andrew whispered, looking away as they walked past Jason's family. The latter was shooting venom at him with his glare, forcing Andrew to walk faster.

"It'll be fine, and you'll get off," Jack said commandingly, stopping as they reached the hallway. "Just keep yourself out of trouble, and leave the rest up to me."

"Okay," Andrew nodded, watching his lawyer walk off down the hall, leaving him alone. He heard the door behind him open, and Jason wheeled himself into the hallway, stopping just short of where Andrew was standing.

"This is low, Higgins, even for you," Jason spat, tightening his grip on the wheels of his chair as he blocked Andrew's path to the door. "Haven't you done enough damage."

"I don't want to throw my life away," Andrew said, his eyes begging for mercy from Jason. "You understand, don't you? I can't go to jail, I can't waste my life."

"But you can waste mine? I can't believe this, Higgins. I can't believe you really aren't sorry."

"I am sorry," Andrew replied, shaking his head. "You have no idea."

"I think I do," Jason spit out, turning his chair around and heading down the hallway, his brother and father right beside him. "I think I know better than anyone else."

Andrew was left standing in the hall, his hands dangling at his sides as he watched Jason wheel himself down the hallway. There was a part of him that was deeply remorseful for what had happened, a part of him that wished he could switch places with Jason, that he could give the other teen his life back. A larger part of him, though, was concerned only with self-preservation, and if people had to be hurt so he stayed out of jail, he was willing to pay the price.

* * *

A/N: I didn't really like that chapter, but it was so long overdue, I just decided to let it flow. I had a lot of difficulties and issues writing it, but I hope it's passable.

Reviews greatly appreciated, as always!

Coming in Chapter 15: Part of the trial…Jason and Michael have some bonding time…Kelsi grows suspicious when she finds something in Jason's bag…


End file.
